http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/25/c...lace-retiring/


Tom Wallace, Corvette Chief at GM, will be retiring from the company at the end of the month. The news was delivered during an event at the Peterson Museum honoring Corvette history. While no reasons were given for the November 1st departure, there is speculation that it could be related to the timing of the seventh-generation Corvette. Wallace may be unwilling to commit to the vehicle's extended launch schedule -- the car was originally set for a 2012 model-year release, but it has reportedly been pushed back to 2014. Wallace was known for his keen grasp of performance-car culture and a passion for the marque, and his departure has come as a shock to many.

 

Current ZR1 will never be topped. Good job Tom.

 

GM was pressuring tons of people to retire by November 1st, so that probably had a lot to do with it.

I didn't know the C7 was delayed

...Does this mean there's a job opening?

 

When good guys like Wallace take an early and sudden retirement, it's a bad sign.

 

You mean like Bob Lutz's sudden retirement from Chrysler and the sudden departure of SVT boss (and Former SN95 chief) John Colletti?

(the former was sold soonafter, and the latter slowly disbanded)

 

they could have just made him head of Pontiac if they didnt like him.

 

Will there be a C7 in a post bankruptcy era?

 

Then Pontiac would have rebound. We can't have that.

 

Just my own opinion, but I'd say yes.

 

Are you really asking if there will be another generation of Corvette?

Of course there will.

 

...Or they could just ride the C6 into the sunset. GM is trying to borrow billions of dollars from the US Government to develop and produce fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles. Don't see where a C7 would fit into that, but 2014 is a long way off.

 

I think the C6 will be with us for awhile, perhaps even outlasting the 5th gen Camaro.

 

The Corvette is a self sufficient vehicle, meaning it funds itself and makes it's own profit. Corvette sales are currently down 5%, but GM's car sales are down 10%, so Corvette is actually doing well against GM's backdrop.

I addressed this in another thread, but the notion that the government is going to somehow dictate what cars can not be made by way of borrowed money is ludicrous.

Naturally money given with the purpose to make fuel efficient vehicles must be used for that purpose. But it's stupid to think that the government will be responsiuble for the end of Corvette. GM looked into spinning off Corvette 10 years ago, GM floated the idea of selling Corvette this year, Chrysler is looking to sell Viper. All this without government involvement.

I don't need to remind you that there's people still at GM that don't understand why they need a Corvette. The same people that were against the Camaro. The same people that killed the idea of a RWD Impala in favor of a FWD version.

If Corvette dies (which I don't see happening as long as Wagoner, Lutz, and Welburn are still at GM), it will be a decision that GM itself made, not some evil government boogieman.

 

The Corvette program is profitable, and low-volume enough/efficient enough that it doesn't pull down on GM's CAFE numbers. It provides a good marketing fodder and a good test bed for engine development, and is respected around the world. IMO, they would be stupid to dump it.

 

Maybe GM should slow down Corvette production to keep the prices up. Out of about 35,000 2008 Corvettes produced, 8,000 were unsold when the 2009s hit showrooms.