A Final Look at the Production Statistics for the C7 Corvette

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A Final Look at Prodcution Statistics for the C7 Corvette

Photo Credit: Corvette Furman


Last month we pored over a lot of interesting data regarding the seventh generation Corvette’s production run. We looked at total C7 production focusing mostly on color, we broke down the run of C7 Z06’s, had a post about overall Grand Sport production, and we also looked into the ZR1’s extended one-year life.

The final data points that we thought were worthy of looking into are major dividing points within the Corvette family. That’s right, it is time to look at transmission choices and take a final tally in the eternal battle between black and chrome wheels.

Of the nearly 200,000 C7s produced, the total take-rate for manual transmissions was 50,611 or 26.55%. The low-sounding percentage is one of the talking points that Tadge & Co use to justify their switch to a one transmission strategy on the C8.

C7 8-Speed Automatic


We think that there is still plenty of demand for three-pedal Corvettes. In the same timespan (2014-19) that 50k+ people purchased Corvettes with manual gearboxes, Porsche sold a grand total of 55,675 examples of their flagship 911 which includes all 87 (or something around there) variants under the 911 umbrella from Carrara all the way up to GT2 RS.

We aren’t talking about some niche product here, manual C7’s make up a near-equivalent of Porsche’s entire sports car market share (we aren’t including the Cayman/Boxter but we could as they sell in pretty inconsequential numbers, 3,000 or so per year)!

As far as Chrome vs. Black wheels go; after a relatively close couple of years, Black wheels ended up winning the war. Not only did they outsell Chromies 88,131 to 56,880 but the Corvette Team decided that the mid-engine 2020 Corvette was the time to put reflective wheels out to pasture with flip-up lights and carburetors.

Black Wheels for the C7 Corvette


This is another interesting decision from a company that usually attempts to maximize every dollar and in my opinion they are alienating even more people by omitting chrome from the option list on the C8 than they did by dropping the manual. I personally am alright with this exclusion as they have no effect on the driving experience and don’t think that chrome goes very well with the design of either C7 or C8 (loved chrome on C6’s). If that many customers feel strongly about getting the shiniest possible wheels, it just doesn’t make much business sense to drop them altogether.

No matter what your thoughts are on these topics, one thing is for sure. The C7 leaves behind a legacy as the zenith of front-engine Corvettes. It could very likely be our version of the 993 generation 911; highly sought after by traditional Corvette enthusiasts for decades to come.

Related:
C7 Corvette ZR1 Total Production Breakdown
C7 Corvette Z06 Total Production Breakdown
C7 Corvette Grand Sport Total Production Breakdown
C7 Corvette Production Breakdown: Exterior Colors

 



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8 COMMENTS

  1. If Chevy intends on forcing black wheels on us..there is always the aftermarket wheel companies. I’m wondering if we will see the “trendy” fad of black wheels going out of style sometime in the future? No telling how long they it will take for that choice to run its course. At least we still have a choice on wheels, unlike the transmissions, lack of choice

  2. Chrome Wheels are timeless. Black wheels are a fad that will not stand the test of time. The C8 would be even more amazing with chrome wheels.

  3. Actually flipup headlights were regulated out of existence by a revision to USA lighting standards that prohibited headlights from being mounted on moveable panels. Cost, complexity, and better lighting technologies did the rest.

  4. I think the C7 is the modern equivalent of the mid year cars in terms of future collectivity. In my view it is such a beautiful car, I hate to think about trading it for a ME car.
    I have chrome wheels on my C7. Black wheels do nothing for me. I agree they are a fad. I am going to wait until I see the new car in person before deciding if I want one, then I will have to decide if I can live with black wheels and then decide if I want the car, am willing to put out the extra cost of after market chrome wheels. And if I go for that, where will I store the original wheels. The lack of Chrome may be a deal breaker for me.
    My son in law, just bought his first Corvette. He bought a C6 ZR1 With a manual transmission. I came with machine surface wheels. He just bought a set of OEM ZR1 black wheels for it? It sits in his garage beside his McLaren which also has black wheels.
    Maybe it’s generational?

  5. Back in the day we had to buy chrome wheels for our cars.I don’t think cragars,or chrome reverse wheels were an option.At least now they have nice black wheels as options.and we still can get aftermarket chrome wheels like back in the day

  6. I put Chrome aftermarket ZR-1 style wheels on my wife’s C-6, Z-51 coupe, and the car looks awesome with them, black wheels can’t even compare to them, save the wave, save the chrome.

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