Corvette Success in 2020 Bolstered by Convertible Sales

Corvette saw a 20% increase in sales in 2020, with nearly 40% being convertibles.

There weren’t many vehicles in the North American market that had a good year in 2020, but the C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was one of them. In a year where production was repeatedly slowed by labor disputes, a global pandemic and component shortages, the legendary Chevy sports car saw sales numbers grow by more than 20% over the year before. Needless to say, the new look and the shift to the mid-engine design has proven to be popular with buyers, but there is an interesting aspect to this rare 2020 success story.

According to the folk at CarBuzz, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible played a key role to the boom in C8 sales, with a take rate that is roughly double that of the C7 convertible.

C8 Corvette Convertible Sales

The crew at CarBuzz spoke with Harlan Charles, Product Marketing Manager for Corvette, who confirmed that since the C8 convertible has been introduced, 35-40% of Corvettes sold have been drop-top models. During the C7 era that ran from 2014 through 2019, convertibles accounted for 20% of sales, so with the generational shift, Corvette convertible sales have doubled by ratio to coupes. That means of the 21,626 C8 units sold, between 7,570 and 8,650 of those were convertibles. For comparison, Chevrolet sold 17,988 C7 Corvettes in 2019 and with roughly 20% being convertibles (roughly 3,598 units).

In short, Corvette sales improved by 3,638 units from 2019 to 2020. If we use the 35% figure for 2020 and the 20% figure for 2019, there was a rough difference in convertible sales of 3,972 units. Based on this basic math, the convertible was responsible for the year-over-year growth rate of the model as a whole.

Americans Love the Drop-Top

There is no set reason why so many more Americans are buying up the C8 Corvette convertible over the coupe. There are, however, plenty of possible variables that have led to the impressive popularity of the open-air Stingray. Most notably, the C7 came with a canvas folding top while the C8 comes with a body-colored folding hardtop. This hardtop presents cleaner lines, mimicking the look of the Stingray coupe when the roof is in its upright position. The looks of a coupe coupled with the open-air comforts have clearly made the C8 convertible a popular choice.

Another popular aspect of the C8 Corvette convertible is the function of the folding hard top. The two-piece hard top features six electric motors that transform the Stingray in just 16 seconds, so dropping the top is quicker than ever. Also, thanks to the hard folding top, C8 owners can put the top down when in motion. No longer do they have to come to a complete stop to drop the top, allowing convertible operation at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.

Finally, the entire convertible top mechanism adds just 80 pounds to the overall curb weight of the Corvette, so there is very little decrease in real-world performance.

The C8 Corvette costs $7,500 more in convertible form, yet with drop-top sales booming, that upcharge isn’t deterring customers from buying the open-air Stingray.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com