Chevy Halting Plant Tours to Keep the New Corvette a Secret
The general public won’t be able to tour General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly Plant for 18 months.
The shutdown of public tours was reported by Bowling Green Daily News and it’s likely it’s to keep the general public from seeing what Chevrolet has up its sleeves for the C8 Corvette.
While suspensions of plant tours aren’t unheard of, it is the first time in recent years the suspension is so long. Katie Frassinelli of the National Corvette Museum told Bowling Green Daily News one of the major overhauls is tying the new paint shop at the plant into the existing assembly line. “The old paint shop is on the opposite side of the plant,” she said.
Select dates in May won’t offer public tours: May 5, May 8-12, May 19, May 26, May 29 and May 30. Tours will also not be offered on June 6, and after June 16 all plant tours will be shut down.
SEE ALSO: Here’s Our Best Look Yet at the Mid-Engine Corvette
Chevrolet has been keeping the mid-engine Corvette C8 a well-guarded secret, but spy photographers have managed to capture a prototype testing on camera, albeit from far away. But given the timing of the plant tour closures, it’s likely we’ll see it enter production by the winter of 2018.
[Source: Bowling Green Daily News via CarBuzz]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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I was planning to attend the Corvette Museum and plant this year for the 23rd Anniversary of the Museum. It may not be worth it if I can't visit the plant.