fatherlarry
09-08-2002, 11:22 AM
Is the Corvette Hardtop REALLY cheaper!
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We’ve heard it said, time and time again that the Corvette Hardtop is the cheaper model Corvette, in the lineup with the coupe and convertible. Maybe in comparison to the convertible, which is significantly higher in price than both, but the price difference between the coupe and hardtop is minimal.
The 1999 Corvette coupe listed for $39,171 and the Corvette Hardtop for $38,777. That’s only a difference of $394. What’s $394 when you’re spending 10’s of thousands? Could this be GM’s ingenious way of marketing an innovative style that the public may not be receptive to? The styling of the Hardtop which results in a Vette that is 80 lbs lighter, 12% stiffer, better in handling, performance and structurally surely can’t be considered bargain basement quality in any way, shape or form. So then where does this reasoning come from?
Naturally, the coupe and convertible costs more to manufacture due to extras. It will cost more for a rear hatch panel to hold the glass on the coupe, extra hardware plus removable top. Taking that into consideration, from the consumers’ side, the hardtop may actually be overpriced considering it was only $394 less than the coupe, and cost less to manufacture.
So is it really “cheaper”? Or did GM create the illusion of a cheaper Vette to the public for marketing purposes? Without hurting their sales on the Coupe and Convertible, they were able to test the waters with a new style Vette, which was a performance model. Hence the guinea pig for what they already had planned and were testing….. the Z06.
Of course the Coupe and Convertible were higher in cost to produce, but if the public had demanded more hardtops, the hardtop price would have risen dramatically. Then two years later along comes the Z06. Basically it is the same car as the 1999-2000 Hardtop with a few modifications and a price tag of over $10K more. Now that the public has accepted the hardtop style, GM invests a few more dollars to make 10’s of thousands more.
The Hardtop is a true Corvette that can compete in performance. Remember the more accessories, the more weight, the more to break down and more aggravation. So it seems we have a nice lean machine, which handles better, is stiffer, faster and structurally stronger, and it…..what…errr..costs less? Not really! It’s just an illusion, but the Hardtop is far from an illusion. It’s the real thing. Ask anyone that has driven one. And please, let’s not confuse “cheaper less in price” with “cheaper in quality.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We’ve heard it said, time and time again that the Corvette Hardtop is the cheaper model Corvette, in the lineup with the coupe and convertible. Maybe in comparison to the convertible, which is significantly higher in price than both, but the price difference between the coupe and hardtop is minimal.
The 1999 Corvette coupe listed for $39,171 and the Corvette Hardtop for $38,777. That’s only a difference of $394. What’s $394 when you’re spending 10’s of thousands? Could this be GM’s ingenious way of marketing an innovative style that the public may not be receptive to? The styling of the Hardtop which results in a Vette that is 80 lbs lighter, 12% stiffer, better in handling, performance and structurally surely can’t be considered bargain basement quality in any way, shape or form. So then where does this reasoning come from?
Naturally, the coupe and convertible costs more to manufacture due to extras. It will cost more for a rear hatch panel to hold the glass on the coupe, extra hardware plus removable top. Taking that into consideration, from the consumers’ side, the hardtop may actually be overpriced considering it was only $394 less than the coupe, and cost less to manufacture.
So is it really “cheaper”? Or did GM create the illusion of a cheaper Vette to the public for marketing purposes? Without hurting their sales on the Coupe and Convertible, they were able to test the waters with a new style Vette, which was a performance model. Hence the guinea pig for what they already had planned and were testing….. the Z06.
Of course the Coupe and Convertible were higher in cost to produce, but if the public had demanded more hardtops, the hardtop price would have risen dramatically. Then two years later along comes the Z06. Basically it is the same car as the 1999-2000 Hardtop with a few modifications and a price tag of over $10K more. Now that the public has accepted the hardtop style, GM invests a few more dollars to make 10’s of thousands more.
The Hardtop is a true Corvette that can compete in performance. Remember the more accessories, the more weight, the more to break down and more aggravation. So it seems we have a nice lean machine, which handles better, is stiffer, faster and structurally stronger, and it…..what…errr..costs less? Not really! It’s just an illusion, but the Hardtop is far from an illusion. It’s the real thing. Ask anyone that has driven one. And please, let’s not confuse “cheaper less in price” with “cheaper in quality.”