Between various build obstacles and the UAW strike, getting the next generation Corvette out the door of the Corvette Assembly Plant and into dealer’s showrooms has been very much like birthing a 3,600-pound baby. After being held up for various reasons, Chevrolet officially let the world know that the first 2020 Corvettes have begun flowing out the door of the assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The simple announcement contained these few words: “Regular production of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe begins February 3, 2020, at General Motors Bowling Green Assembly in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Initial vehicle shipments to dealers are expected to begin in late February or early March. (Photo by Miranda Pederson for General Motors)”

A photo of a black C8 toward the end of the assembly line was included in the announcement, which had several folks wondering if it was Rick Hendrick’s three-million-dollar ride and a few surmising that it was their car instead. Either way, cars are beginning to come together.

Welcome To 2021?

As Chevrolet’s announcement states, we should start seeing C8s on dealers’ lots around the end of the month. That’s good news. For those who desperately want the first-year production C8, YouTuber Chevy Dude offers advice that those can’t get their order in before April may wind up with a 2021 Corvette instead. Chevy Dude explains in this video due to the various production issues Chevrolet is probably going to drawback allocations for 2020 Corvettes.

According to “The Dude”, the final consensus month for 2020 Corvette (the final month that dealers can submit orders) will be April 2020. He suggests that if you have a deposit waiting, you should do your best to get your car ordered before the cut-off date. Anything submitted after April will go toward 2021 production, which he states will begin the first Monday of September 2020.

Early Start, Early End?

There could certainly be worse information than to find out your brand-new C8 Corvette will be the second year of production instead of the first. Although, the initial bomb-drop price of “Under $60,000” isn’t guaranteed for the second year of production. Chevy Dude allows for this, but also states that price increases year-to-year aren’t uncommon with Corvette, but typically are not drastic in nature. Besides, you may be able to get all the neat ground effects beyond what comes on the base model from the factory.

On another note, Corvette Blogger posted some aerial photos from overhead the Corvette Assembly Plant that showed a large assortment of wrapped, and un-wrapped C8s sitting in the staging areas outside the plant. We’ve all known that the plant has produced C8s. I mean, how else would we have seen the car at the initial reveal and the convertible reveal? How many of those initial cars were built? GM knows.

So, why are there so many cars sitting outside the plant and wearing wrapping for shipping in a photo that was taken a day before the official start of production? Are these from Chevrolet’s captured fleet vehicles or did production get a head start? Can someone stop by Rick Hendrick’s place and see if he’s already received VIN #001?

Whether you’re waiting for notification that your car is now coming together on the assembly line or simply enamored with the whole birthing process of the best Vette yet, seeing production cars coming off the line is a welcome sight. We’re glad to see them finally getting into the hands of the enthusiasts who have waited so long for this day. We only wish that Zora could have been here to see it all happen.