All Chevrolet Corvette dealers to service the ME?

[vette4lyn]

Assuming that current Corvette selling dealers will have to pay for expensive shop retooling and sales training, will all Corvette dealers be signing on to the ME program?

[tooold2race]

I believe it's a bit too early for hard information on this subject. If it's a regular production offering (like the current C7 series variants) I would guess that current selling dealers will be offering and servicing 'em. If it turns out to be a 'limited edition' that would be a different case.

On the other hand, GM could anoint only large volume dealerships that are willing to make the necessary 'investment' as authorized sales and service facilities.

With that said..... and note that it is purely speculation..... I would have to ask why anyone would want to buy a new Corvette (any Corvette) from a small store that really doesn't deal regularly with 'em. Please remember, when they are released for sale, allocations will be made based on prior year sales so there will be a fair number of stores that will not be getting their hands on them. Note that they will likely still take your deposit!!!

[John]

vette4lyn, you have hit two nails on the head, and we do not yet definitively know the answer to either. The answer to the first question is think is a probable “YES”, that is, will GM allow all dealers to sell the ME? This question gets rumored every time a hot new limited model comes out for every major OEM, will every dealership be able to order/sell one the first year? We believe that GM will again by allocation, reward those dealers who they allocate to sell the ME. Will this be every dealer the first year, or will allocation only go to the top 500 dealers, to only 1,000 (or some other number) we do not know, and perhaps GM has yet to decide???

A partial answer to your exact question is that only those dealers who “pay for shop tools and staff training,” and probably also like the Stingray its first year, also send two of their staff to Spring Mountain for schooling and track training, are going in year one to be able to alsoservice the ME. Again whether that will be all who pundle up the money and go through that training, or will it be only the top 500 dealers, top 1,000 dealers or whatever, we do not know? and possibly GM has not yet made a final decision.

Suffice to say if one is planning on get an ME, happens to live in the country where there is only dealer for 50 miles, that dealer sell 95% SUV’s and pickups, and sells an average of only 1 Corvette a year, well, if me, I would not be ordering my ME from such a dealer — at least not in year one.