Where Are Chevrolet Corvettes Made? (Solved & Explained)

In automotive circles, the Chevrolet Corvette is regarded as the ‘working man’s sports car’.

And why not?

It’s incredibly fast yet costs several thousand dollars less than the Ferraris and Lamborghinis of this world.

The Corvette is an amazing supercar, and we have dedicated this article to explore where it is made.

Where Are Corvettes Being Made?

General Motors has built the Corvette at the Bowling Green Assembly in Kentucky, USA, since 1981. A plant in Flint, Michigan, had hand-built the first Corvettes in 1953 before production moved to St. Louis, Missouri in the1954.

GM would produce Corvettes at the St. Louis, Missouri factory for another 27 years until it moved its production to Bowling Green in Kentucky.

Therefore, since 1981, every Corvette sold has originated from Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA.

Are Corvettes for the U.S. Market Produced in the U.S.?

Dubbed “America’s Sports Car,” the Corvette has always been produced here in the United States.

American production of the Corvette started at the Flint, Michigan factory before moving to the St. Louis, Missouri factory a year later.

GM moved fabrication of Corvettes — this time, permanently — to its plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Since then, production of the Corvette in the US has run for close to 40 years.

Are They Being Assembled in the U.S.?

The first Corvettes were assembled by hand in Flint, Michigan.

This was before GM started assembling Corvettes in Missouri, and later, Michigan.

Presently, the Bowling Green plant in Kentucky assembles the Corvette models in the US.

Make sure to read our article about driving the Chevrolet Corvette in snow and winter.

How Can You Check Where a Specific Corvette Was Produced?

Checking a Corvette’s production date is a stress-free way to know its origin.

Unless it’s an old classic made before the 1980s, you can be sure that a Corvette comes from the Bowling Green, Kentucky Plant.

Corvettes released before 1981 were made at Flint, Michigan (1953-1954) and St. Louis, Missouri (1954-1981).

Not sure about the production date? The Vehicle Identification Number can help you figure out a Corvette’s origins.

The VIN has 17 characters and the 11th, called the Plant Code, tells which factory assembled the vehicle.

Every GM factory has a plant code, which is a number or letter, to identify vehicles it produces.

An example is the Bowling Green Assembly whose plant code is ‘5’.

Other examples of GM factories with plant codes include Flint Assembly (F) and St. Louis Assembly (S).

Are Japanese or European Built Corvette Better?

No factory in Japan or Europe has ever assembled the Corvette supercars.

We cannot compare imaginary vehicles, so providing an answer to the opening question is impossible.

Where Is the Corvette Designed?

The GM Design Center facility in Warren, Michigan, is home to teams that design Chevrolet and other GM models.

Based on this, we can safely assert the Corvette is designed in Warren, Michigan.

Please also read our article about whether the Chevrolet Corvette lasts long.

Where Are Corvettes Made for the Australia Market?

GM has never made a left-hand drive version of the Corvette, meaning the model doesn’t sell on the Australia market.

If you’re willing to go through the trouble, you can import a Corvette into Australia and get it modified for right-hand drive.

Alternatively, you can wait until 2021 when the first ever RHD Corvette goes on sale.

Where Are Corvettes Made for the Canada Market?

Chevrolet Corvettes sold to Canadian buyers are made in the USA.

Specifically, GM makes Corvettes in Bowling Green, Kentucky, before exporting them to Canada.

Where Are Corvettes Made for the U.K. Market?

Presently, there are no Corvettes for sale on the UK market, since GM doesn’t produce a right-hand drive version.

However, the automaker has announced plans to build an RHD Corvette in the US for sale abroad in 2021.

If you are impatient, you can just buy a regular Corvette and get it converted to right-hand drive. Be mindful, though, conversions cost a lot.

Also read our article about how long the Chevrolet Sonic lasts.

Is Chevrolet Planning to Move Its Production?

So far, GM has said nothing about moving production of the Corvette.

The Bowling Green Assembly that builds the Corvette has done so since 1981 — and we don’t see that changing soon.

Is Chevrolet Hiring or Firing in the U.S.?

GM has fired a small percentage of its workers in the US this year.

Many suggest the reason is reduced sales and slower production.

This is not strange as car companies including Nissan, BMW, etc., have responded to the current economic situation by laying off workers.

However, GM has also indicated it is hiring at some of its plants in the US. In particular, job listings site Glassdoor has some open GM jobs available.

Is Chevrolet an American Company?

Chevrolet is an American company building and selling vehicles across the world.

It is under the control of General Motors, which acquired it a few years after it was established.

Was this article helpful?