Chevrolet dealers that want to sell the C8 need to act fast and follow specific instructions

By Cam Vanderhorst, Contributing Writer on May 02, 2019 at 4:51PM

The only folks more excited than us about the C8 Corvette may be Chevrolet dealers, eager for a piece of the action. After all, the mid-engined C8 is one of the most hotly anticipated new sports cars in a long while.

However, Chevrolet dealers looking to sell new Corvettes for fun and profit (but mostly profit) will have to jump through a few hoops first according to CorvetteBlogger. The information comes from a GM-produced monthly podcast intended for dealers. The most recent podcast broke down all of the relevant information and explained the two available programs.

The programs are called "Corvette Dealer" and "Signature Corvette Dealer." A standard Corvette Dealer must invest around $5,000 for the privilege of selling the new Corvette. That includes all of the requisite training materials, a $3,500 trip for one sales representative to Spring Mountain Motorsports in Las Vegas for more in-depth training, and $1,500 in specialty tools for the new car.

We agree with CorvetteBlogger that the low cost of admission for dealers is a good thing – especially the cost of the specialty tools. To us, that means that, despite obvious major changes, the new Corvette will remain as simple and user-serviceable as ever.

The Signature Corvette Dealer program requires that a Service Manager or Service Advisor be sent to Spring Mountain as well, and demands compliance with something GM calls the "Corvette Participation Agreement." On the plus side, Signature Corvette Dealers will be showcased on Chevrolet's website for prospective customers.

Another opportunity, independent of either program, is participation in the C8 Mobile Tour. For $16,000 (for one day) or $25,000 (for two days), GM will send a pair of new C8 Corvettes, along with a factory-approved expert, to show the cars to prospective clients and assist in ordering new cars.

These tours will begin before C8 production starts in December, and should offer a great opportunity for dealers to drum up interest. We're hoping that our local dealers will spring for the program so that we can check it out ourselves. When that happens, you'll read all about it here.

Source: CorvetteBlogger