With Viper splitting from Dodge, should Corvette have separated from Chevy?

[bigsteff]

What's the issue here? Are some people embarrassed because the parent company is Chevrolet, the "middle-American" brand. Do you think a Corvette would be cooler if it would be an independent company? I seriously doubt that Corvette could survive as an independent company. I applaud Chevrolet for continuing to fund the brand year after year, good times or bad.

For people who need a personal image boost, they can always buy a Mercedes mini-van or a BMW SUV.

One of the reasons Corvettes are affordable is because they can share tooling with high-volume cars, and Chevrolet uses the Corvette brand as their advanced R & D. That means I can buy world-class performance and a care with a serious racing pedigree for a price 1/2 to 1/3 for cars of similar performance.

PS, for those who use this thread to take a cheap shot at Obama, I suggest they spend their time studying economics and history.

Economics: look up the number of people that are employed both directly and indirectly by GM and imagine the impact on our already-stressed economy to have them all out of work at the same time.

History: It was your boy who destroyed the economy in the first place. The last time one of our guys was in the white house, he balanced the budget and had a surplus projected to pay off the national debt by 2012. Not to mention that 75% of our national debt was run up by Reagan, and Bush Sr and Jr. Stop watching Fox news and read a history book.

I agree with most of your statements (especially the last 3) but it would be nice to be treated with a little more class ...

[sub006]

Chrysler seems to have a problem with the Dodge brand. A couple of years ago, the truck division was renamed "Ram". Now they want to remove Viper?

Sounds like Fiat may be preparing to sell off parts of the Chrysler business as stand-alone entities. Hope not, Mercedes contributed the marvelous and affordable Chrysler 300s, and I'm eager to see the upcoming Alfa Romeo-based Dodge Dart. Real European feel and handling!

The Chevrolet brand is not diluted, it is STRONG because it covers everything from entry-level Aveos to middle-class Malibus, fabulous future-engineered Volts, Silverados, SUVs and work trucks up to many tons capacity. Corvette is the one world-class sports car available through dealers serving ALL automobile and truck needs, one-stop shopping and service providing a uniquely democratic and American level playing field for consumers.

I would like to see a sub-$150,000 mid-engine super Corvette variant to take on Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bugatti. Call it Corvette SS like the 1957 racer prototype. Now THAT one might need to be marketed only through selected Chevy dealers!

[proshop]

Car salesmen (and women) don't know much about any of their products. Its the service dept we need to be concerned with and Corvette dealers would be very scarce
if Vettes were sold in Corvette only dealerships. We, as Vette owners usually know more about our cars than most drivers and as enthusiasts we will likely to continue
in this direction. Having a network of Chevy dealers as support is far superior to an exclusive, smaller network of Corvette dealers, not to mention the probability that parts
and service pricing would skyrocket to the level of Porsche, Lambo and Ferarri. Chevrolet and Corvette are an American success story. Vipers are for guys
that wear too much jewelry and are trying desperately to get laid. Lets leave it that way. PLEASE.

[Tom]

Taking a $50,000 plus Corvrtte in for service, and you get treated like a $12,000 Sonic owner.Chevrolet dealers are more interested in low price car sales, than they are high dollar Corvette sales, or service.

[captin george]

Corvette has been a fixture in Chevrolet for many years, Viper was a new vehicle, seperation of Viper, doesn't matter. Corvette and Chevrolet, are as American, as Base Ball, Apple Pie, And Chevrolet. The 'Vette wouldn't be A 'Vette wothout Chevrolet!

[garpearc]

With all the lousy business decisions they've made in the last 10 years this would be a topper, we don't need a cheap Vette, while they buid a faster one........look out Mustang, here I come

[myspot]

Let us be honest here. How many vipers have you seen on the road. Now ask , how many corvettes do you see on the road in a given week. If the only true American sports car was to go it alone we would be witnesses to a slow painful death of a true icon. Remember, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.

[TooFast]

It would be a great way to end Corvette production. Dumb idea if you ask me.

I agree, Chevrolet is Corvette and visa versa...the corvette is an American icon like no other American sports or muscle car...no I don't think it would be a good idea and I always get my car as far away from any dealer as soon as I can.

Go Chevrolet...go Corvette!!!

[Silver Blue 58]

I know that when the C4 ZR1 was being developed, Dick Guldstrand strongly pushed Chevrolet to make it very unique ... a "Super Vet" if you will ... and have two levels of Corvette. Chevrolet staunchly refused. They were afraid that the Super Vet with a unique power train and body would wind up killing the standard Corvette.

Seperate the Corvette line from Chevrolet? I don't think so. There have been an equal number of times when Chevrolet almost killed the Corvette and when Chevrolet actually rescued the Corvette from extinction.

Chevrolet finally needs the Corvette and that is likely to continue. The deep pockets of Chevrolet are needed to fund R&D and probably any number of unforseen advancements in future technology. Corvette could never stand on its own independent of GM and as a seperate division of GM there would be far too many idiot MBA's in GM down the road who would have no comprehension of the historical significance of the Corvette and who would someday propose shutting down the Corvette division during a bad stretch and allowing the Cadillac Division to develop alternatives.

Keep things as they are. Does anyone seriously believe the new Viper will survivefor five years, let alone twenty more? And, exactly how many automotive technological breakthroughs has the Viper been responsible for? Maybe one or none??

Leave things as they are. There is a symbiotic relationship between GM, Chevrolet, and Corvette that needs to be nurtured, not destroyed.

Very Well Stated!

[billy-zl5]

keep the corvette!!!
it's like apple pie & the 4th of july
billy-zl5

[catbert]

Viper and Vettes are two very different animals. There is a lot of Chevy content in the Vettes, and almost no Dodge content in the Viper. There also isn't a 60 year tradition in the Viper/Dodge scenario.

That said, I'd love to get some quality dealers in the Vettes pipeline. Except for a number of Vette specializing Chevy dealers, like forum sponsors, Chevy dealers are pretty clueless about the Vettes. The fact that most Vettes buyer know ten times more about the car than the dealership is stupid, considering how much a dealer normally makes from a Vettes sale. I also think that Vette buyers that drop up to 125 grand on a car should get a better buying experience that they normally get at the corner Chevy store. I remember when I picked up my 07 Ron Fellows Z06 at 8:00 am on a cold Michigan morning, I wasn't even offered a cup of coffee. Before I left I asked the general manager if my sale was the most expensive car the dealership ever sold, and he said it was, but never "got" why I asked.

If it makes you feel better, they know more about the Vettes than the Volt. Now there's a buying experience!

[xfirefighterx]

By separating from the Chevrolet Dealerships it will be the end of the
Corvette, at least for the common man who can't afford to spend $250,000 for a
Saturday afternoon toy. I have driven Corvettes since 1977. Dollar for
Horsepower my cars run with cars that cost $$$Thousands$$$$ more. My dealership
(Dan Wolf Chevrolet of Naperville IL. (Sean Drane, Service Manager) treat me
with 5 star service. They have mechanics dedicated to Corvette only. My
mechanic Jeff always test drives my Corvette after service and knows I demand
top performance, and I get it. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'd rather be
a member of a big family, then sitting on a corner by myself. ILOVE MY CORVETTE,
I LOVE MY DEALERSHIP, AND I LOVE CHEVROLET.

[killain]

That would be tantamount to saying Chevrolet is no longer the performance brand that it represents in the racing world. The duplication of setting up a dealer network that can sell, service, and support Corvette is ridiculous. Corvette has been around for 60 years while Viper has been a brand associated with Dodge for one third of that time. Viper has never been more than a shadow of a sports car when it comes to sales along with the shaky quality, and the many other less than stellar attributes associated with the vehicle. Did you ever pack one up with your belongings and take a trip in it across country? Better yet, did you ever watch them build a Viper? The Viper sales volumes don’t even represent a threat to Corvette and Chevrolet. The value concept of Chevrolet and Corvette is still realistic because to obtain a vehicle with similar performance characteristics represents an investment of significantly more money. Breaking Corvette away from Chevrolet also impacts the rich history of the vehicle so all in all the idea doesn’t have much validity. Zarrella? Who dat? He doesn’t work there any more and that may be one of the reasons why he is gone.

The relationship between Chevrolet and Corvette is much like a Mother whale and calf. The Corvette has been a testbed for all sorts of automotive engineering concepts. Back in the early sixties, Corvette put forth Independent suspension at all four wheels, and Disc brakes. And lets not forget styling, you or anyone of the western cultures, everyone one knows the shark body style of the C3 Corvette. I would venture. that function of being the test bed for all of the General Motors vehicles is priceless. And unlike where Ford cast off the Thunderbird once it had lived it's life, they needed the pitifull early Mustangs to carry the performance torch. Where as Chevrolet always had something technical up Zora's shirt sleeves. Be it fuel Injection, posit-traction differentials to curved doors on the 1963 SWC.

And then there is the racing heritage. We all hear of the Corvettes ventures into all classes of racing, and even if you ask a "Car guy" he most likely can tell you all about Yenko or Baldwin-motion Corvette or even the 'Chaparral of 24 hour le Mans competition' and all through the years these different concepts proven on the track found their way into General Motors products. And that is why, you need a division like Chevrolet, ( the pioneer of the low cost sedans up to a RPO maxed out Chevrolet Caprice) I never understood why GM would do away with a sedan that was bought in the hundreds if not thousands by Police departments from Alantic City to Los Angles. NYC buys 500 police cars at one time?

OK, so we have a cradle to grave relationship and bond between Chevrolet & Corvette and the huge Chevrolet Dealerships are the only common sense approach to the link of Corvette sales and product recognition of the Corvette and Chevrolet. And this eclipses the brand association with literally any other automobile manufactures. So If the general idea of having better informed salespeople, then the company should send new Junior Salesmen hires or "Product boot camp" with the Corvette and other models data and the requirement that they 'Know' what their selling. That is no new requirement in any field. However, being able to have your new Corvette serviced with a ten miles radice with thoroughly knowledgeable technicians. That is what is needed and what is important in the General Motor Companies herizion, and all future buyers should be able to look to the Chevrolet division for the answers for their transportation. Some can come in to look and Chevy Cruze, But I'll bet $100.00 bucks they wander over to sit in a new corvette.

And that is what sells car, getting the prospective buyer and the automobile together, getting them in the door is the most important function. The cars, they will sell themselves.

[Deke]

Corvette has been a fixture in Chevrolet for many years, Viper was a new vehicle, seperation of Viper, doesn't matter. Corvette and Chevrolet, are as American, as Base Ball, Apple Pie, And Chevrolet. The 'Vette wouldn't be A 'Vette wothout Chevrolet!

Agreed, Cheverolet and Corvette have weaved their way into the very fabric of American culture. Remember "Route 66" and "See the USA in your Cheverolet"? To those who would say nostalgia and emotion have no place in the board room, just this once, close your wallet and sit down. This piece of cloth does not need to be cut. And to those who wish to lump patriotism in with nostalgia and emotion, too bad, I will not apologize for Apple Pie,Baseball,Cheverolet Corvette and least of all America.

[Rob]

I wish we were all as smart as you... Maybe you could just own your own (Dealership) and then you could just blow smoke back at them.... The all knowing customer. Blow smoke back in your own face! I bet everyone is stupid according to you! Knowing more than anyone at the dealership ! Most dealers alone have a collection of corvettes, factory trained corvette mechanics that have 30 years experience. +

Some people seem intelligent until they speak

Velocity, I understand where you're coming from, but I also understand where hub cap is coming from as well.

In my past experiences, (and this is not limited to Chevrolet dealerships but BMW, Cadillac, etc...), the sales people I've dealt with couldn't sell a heater to an Eskimo. Why? Because they didn't know a damn thing about the product they were selling.

One of many examples: back in 1993, I had my eyes set on ordering a brand new Corvette with the Z07 option. I actually had a salesman argue with me on the showroom floor stating that he never heard of a Z07 option, there's no such thing as a Z07 option, and I must be talking about RPO ZR-1. I finally got fed up and convinced him to go pull out the dealer ordering guide, and take a look. We went back to his desk, he looked and the response I got was: "Oh....ummmm....you're right....wow, never heard of RPO Z07...."

My response: "Really? You don't know the difference between a $2,000 option and a $26,000 option?"

I will admit, contrary to the popular belief within retail sales: the customer is NOT always right. I am well aware that there are people out there that walk into your dealership, and you just want to slap them upside the head and tell them to get the hell out. But you also cannot assume that the customer is not capable of knowing more about the car sitting on your showroom floor, than the salesman does who is trying to sell your product.

In my opinion, this is one of the reasons why Corvette sales have floundered in previous years and GM wonders why. If you don't know anything about the product you're selling other than it's exterior/interior color, some performance numbers, and maybe fuel mileage....how can you be successful at selling it?

On the flip-side to all of this, I bought my 1990 ZR-1 from a dealership out west, sight unseen. I dealt with the salesman strictly by phone. It was a daunting experience, and I had the understanding with the salesman that if the car was delivered to me and I found one thing wrong with it - there was going to be no final sale and the car would be returned to him. He totally understood and agreed. The car was delivered to me and sure enough, he was a man of his word. I loved the car and kept it to this day. The only reason why I took a chance in doing that - is because I knew this particular dealership specialized in selling Corvettes and they did, as they still do now, have an impeccable reputation. I would have no problem going back to them in the future if I ever have the opportunity to buy another Corvette.

Sometimes I sit back and wish I could actually go into Corvette sales because I think the Corvette needs people who are passionate about what they are selling in order to properly sell it. If you're passionate about it - you want to learn about it. If you are passionate about it, know about it, and understand the type of people interested in buying it - you can sell it. That is so much better than a salesman walking up to you as you're looking at a Corvette on the floor, and saying: "Have you ever driven one? It's a rocket!!!!!!" And yet, it's highly unlikely the customer will get to test drive a brand new Corvette at the dealership, and the salesman knows more about the radio in the Corvette than anything else about the car.