GM gets tax incentives, might add new vehicle at Bowling Green plant

[Rob]

GM gets tax incentives, might add new vehicle at Bowling Green plant

By Scott Sloan — ssloan@herald-leader.com
Posted: 12:43pm on Mar 31, 2011; Modified: 6:50pm on Mar 31, 2011

General Motors is considering a new vehicle for its Bowling Green assembly plant, and the state government stepped in Thursday to entice it with $7.5 million in tax breaks.

The automaker is mum on what vehicle it might be adding at the plant, which produces Corvettes, but the head of the local union there said he thinks it's the next generation of the Corvette, which GM is expected to begin manufacturing by 2013.

Full Story: GM gets tax incentives, might add new vehicle at Bowling Green plant | Business | Kentucky.com

[6 Shooter]

[lt1george]

I'm going to read between the lines. Add "new vehicle" means another car line........possibly bring Camaro production to Bowling Green ???? Freeing up space at Oshawa for next generation Full Sized Truck. My .02

Bowling Green is way undercapacity in production numbers.GM has got to do something to get young men and women to buy a Corvette. The average age for Corvette buyers is just too old. I was looking at a old Corvette News magazine and remembering the article about Corvette profiles in the 70's the average age male buyer was 26.5 years old. I fit the profile then and almost fit the profile now. Not good.

[John 2003 Vette]

The median age for a corvette owner now is 53

[1analguy]

I'm going to read between the lines. Add "new vehicle" means another car line........possibly bring Camaro production to Bowling Green ???? Freeing up space at Oshawa for next generation Full Sized Truck. My .02

Bowling Green is way undercapacity in production numbers.GM has got to do something to get young men and women to buy a Corvette. The average age for Corvette buyers is just too old. I was looking at a old Corvette News magazine and remembering the article about Corvette profiles in the 70's the average age male buyer was 26.5 years old. I fit the profile then and almost fit the profile now. Not good.

I've been through this process more than a dozen times at the plant that I retired from. GM "hinting" at a "new vehicle" for any plant is just them fishing for a state hand out, in the hopes that Kentucky's elected officials will fall for their "carrot". This scam often works nowadays, what with the jobs/votes issue...and it appears to have worked again here. The "new vehicle" will actually just be the replacement vehicle for the soon-to-be obsolete C6 Corvette. The C7 Corvette would have been produced there anyway, as they no longer have anywhere else that they can build it. In the days before the bankruptcy, when they had a ton of excess capacity...maybe, but not anymore.

Now, if GM had said "additional vehicle" rather than "new vehicle", that would have meant another car line in addition to the Corvette already being produced there. I imagine that GM considers the Cadillac XLR "experiment" to be a failure (even though it was their own fault), so I wouldn't hold my breath for any additional vehicles in Bowling Green any time soon...

[vettedreamer]

You would think it makes more sense to build the Camaro along side the new C7 Corvette,
But the bean counters at GM want to build Camaros in Lansing Michigan?
Also, Why don't they offer an entry level model C7 Corvette to attract the younger buyers?
(Just a thought)...

[KANE]

Now, if GM had said "additional vehicle" rather than "new vehicle", that would have meant another car line in addition to the Corvette already being produced there. I imagine that GM considers the Cadillac XLR "experiment" to be a failure (even though it was their own fault), so I wouldn't hold my breath for any additional vehicles in Bowling Green any time soon...

This thread dates back to March of 2011... so, I'm thinking GM was weighing their options as they were looking to ready the plant for the C7.


Like you said, speculation about bringing vehicles to a plant isn't new. Ford's Louisville plant went through a multi-million dollar update so that it could build a variety of platforms- from the Transit to the Escape... and even full frame trucks.

I'm wondering if GM has considered creating some elasticity in facilities- where additional facilities can be brought to to meet demand for certain models and change up / add as needed. It's an interesting idea but clearly has a multitude of logistical and supply-line impacts.

[6 Shooter]

You would think it makes more sense to build the Camaro along side the new C7 Corvette, ...

[KANE]

Two totally different platforms...

But two totally similar sets of tail lights...









Just givin' you some grief, D!