Total number of Corvettes ever made

[Stewart A.]

Does anyone know the total number of Corvettes ever made. I'm trying to work out which manufacturer has the made the most sports cars. The Corvette must be well up there.
Stewy

[Terry M.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

Quite a few years ago (In the C4 era I think) they built the 1,000,000 Corvette. It is in The Corvette Museum (unless Chevrolet sold it at BJ). I can't remember what year it was, but if no one here fills in that blank, call the Museum tomorrow during business hours (Central Time Zone) and ask them.

[Michael W.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

It was 1992. Seems like just yesterday..............

[Terry M.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

I could picture the Corvette breaking through the paper sign for 1.000.000 -- but for the life of me I couldn't remember the year. Now all you have to do is find out how many Corvettes they made each year since then.

I do remember a couple of stories challenging Chevrolet's method of counting -- concluding that the car they called the 1 millionth really wasn't. Some one else got the real 1,000,000 Corvette was their assertion.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

I think Michael has the 500,000 one made, pretty close anyway.

Stu Fox

[Michael W.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

The 500,000 Corvette was March 1977. White body with red interior.

[Grant M.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

Mike,

That's right. According to the story featured in CF or Vette magazine at the time, GM brass at the time had received numerous enquiries about the forthcoming milestone car decided they would "award" (sell) the car to the first bona-fide order accompanying such enquiry. I recall the photo of the young fellow who had been the first to place an order (he looked twenty-something, in a white, disco-era suit) as he was handed the keys.

Didn't Dave Burroughs and some other 'investors' get together to acquire the 1,000,000th car?

grant

[Terry M.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

Didn't Dave Burroughs and some other 'investors' get together to acquire the 1,000,000th car?

grant

Nope Grant. I am reasonably confident that the 1 millionth is at the Corvette Museum, and is still owned by General Motors. I was joking in the above post when I suggested it might have been sold at BJ.

Dave Boroughs and a group including John Amgwert acquired the last St Louis Corvette (1981, I think). I believe that car has since been sold.

[Grant M.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

Terry,

Thanks. I do recall now that it was the last St Louis Corvette that Burroughs et al went after and I also recall hearing later that it had been sold. Did GM 'donate' the millionth car to the NCM?

As far as the manufacturer that has built the most sports cars, I believe that I read not long ago that sales of the Miata have surpassed any other single model, but perhaps not 'manufacturer', given that some like British Leyland/BMC ended up as an amalgamation of numerous marques (Jaguar, Rover, Triumph etc) and might therefore have made more sports cars in total.

A lot would have to do with price range/marketing as well. The Corvette is in the 'premium' sports car class and has not been marketed worldwide for much of its existence, so it would be an unlikely winner of the title for most sports cars made.

grant

[William L.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

Last St Louis Corvette 7-31-1981.

[William L.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

250,000 Corvette not sure of the date. 1968 or 1969.

[Kenneth H.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

If you really want to know the approximate number of corvettes built, get yourself a Blackbook and a calculator and just add the final production numbers for each year. That should get you close.

[Art A.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

In 1991 Dave McClellan assigned me the task of identifying the millionth Corvette VIN number. I was able to find some old production data within GM and that is what we used to make the final decision. Yes I know there is/was some controversy about the EXACT number, however we felt that it was necessary to use hard data that we had available.

[Michael W.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

250,000 Corvette not sure of the date. 1968 or 1969.

November 1969. Would have been a '70 model were it not for the extended '69 production run

[Terry M.]

Re: Total number of Corvettes ever made

Terry,

Thanks. I do recall now that it was the last St Louis Corvette that Burroughs et al went after and I also recall hearing later that it had been sold. Did GM 'donate' the millionth car to the NCM?

Grant,

To the best of my knowledge GM or Chevrolet has not "donated" any Corvettes to The Museum. They are all still owned by the corporation or division, but are on long-term loan. The whys and where-for of that is a very long story. I should point out that it has been more than a few years since I was on the board of the Museum, and it is possible that these kinds of things have changed -- but I doubt that this one has.

The 250,000 Corvette is/was a 1969. Last seen in California in private ownership. There was an effort on the part of some Chevrolet employees back when the 1 millionth was rolled out to get all the other milestones in one place -- so these cars were tracked down. The logistics of the "reunion" never worked out though. I recall seeing a story about these milestone cars in one of the California Chapter newsletters back then. I can't remember which (I used to get all of them) but I would guess at Southern Cal.