This morning we told you that GM’s CEO Mary Barra would be making an announcement at the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In a press release this afternoon, they revealed why the plant has seen $900 Million in upgrades since 2011. Mrs. Barra said: “The Corvette’s iconic status owes so much to the men and women of Bowling Green, where it has been built exclusively for almost 40 years. This is the workforce that can deliver a next generation Corvette worthy of both its historic past and an equally exciting future, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to its reveal on July 18.”
After building over one million Corvettes since opening in 1981, the plant is being re-tooled to build the C8. It will be the first Corvette to have a mid-mounted V8, placing Chevrolet up against the best cars in the world. Each one will pass through a new paint shop and receive an engine built downstairs at the Performance Engine Build Center.
The 2nd Shift takes the total workforce to over 1,300, providing Kentucky with $76 Million in wages and $15 Million in Income Tax. Mary has made major labor cuts this year, so this news is long overdue. Congrats to UAW Local 2164, we will see your new car at the unveiling on July 18th. Stay with us for all your Corvette news.
P.S. The camouflaged Prototype is known as ZERV, in honor of Zora Duntov. His CERV (Corvette Engineering Research Vehicle) prototypes were mid-engine V8 monsters that easily outran Indy cars of their day. It only took them 60 years to build it!
