GM Still Committed to Right Hand Drive C8 Corvette Model Following Holden Announcement

Just because the sales, design and engineering operations for Holden in Australia and New Zealand are coming to a halt in 2021, doesn’t mean the right-hand-drive mid-engine Corvette won’t still be sold there as originally planned.

GM officials have confirmed to carscoops.com that the RHD 2020/2021 Stingray won’t be affected by the demise of Holden.

“GM sells vehicles in other select RHD markets and will therefore still develop the car with LHD and RHD options for applicable markets,” says Kelly Cusinato, Chevy’s communications director.

Kevin Kelly, senior manager of Chevrolet Car and Crossover Communications, says, in addition, the “plan remains in place” to sell RHD versions of the Corvette in Japan and the United Kingdom next year.

While announcing that the Holden brand will be “retired” at a recent press conference, one official signaled that RHD is still very much in the mix for GM.

“In markets where we don’t have significant scale, such as Japan, Russia, and Europe, we are pursuing a niche presence by selling profitable, high-end imported vehicles – supported by a lean GM structure,” GM International Operations Senior Vice President Julian Blissett said. Sounds like a Corvette to us.

While acknowledging the “challenges of the investments needed for the highly fragmented right-hand-drive market,” as GM President Mark Reuss recently put it, the company does indeed appear to be committed to that market. Based on the overwhelming recent response to the C8 in Japan, where 300 vehicles sold in a matter of hours, we’d be inclined to second that motion.

As for Holden, the brand won’t disappear immediately next year. The company will honor warranties and provide service and spare parts for at least a decade, as well as handling any future recalls or safety issues.

Source:
carscoops.com

Related:
The Price of a C8 Corvette in Australia May Be Lower Than Expected
[PIC] Holden Teases the Arrival of the C8 Corvette to Australia
RHD C8 Corvettes Expected to Go On Sale In Australia in Early 2021