By Eve 
General Motors is preparing for a four-week shutdown at its Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky, temporarily halting production of the Chevrolet Corvette and related performance engines as the company adjusts inventory during the winter sales slowdown.
The extended holiday break at the Bowling Green facility is scheduled to begin Monday, Dec. 15, with production set to resume Monday, Jan. 12. The pause goes beyond the traditional two-week winter shutdown and will also affect engine manufacturing at the nearby Performance Build Center, where GM produces engines for high-performance vehicles including the Corvette Z06 and ZR1, Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and Cadillac Escalade-V.
The decision comes as General Motors works to balance production with seasonal demand. Vehicle sales typically slow during the winter months, making full production unnecessary during that period. The break is also expected to prevent dealers from accumulating excess inventory, a strategy that has become more relevant as supply and demand imbalances continue across the performance car market.
While inventory control is a key factor, demand for certain Corvette models remains strong. High-performance variants such as the 670-horsepower Z06 and the upcoming ZR1 have experienced limited availability, contributing to significant dealer markups. In some cases, prices for these models have reportedly reached as much as $100,000 above the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
The Bowling Green Assembly Plant had already observed a shorter pause for Thanksgiving, closing on Thursday and Friday before resuming operations the following Monday. The upcoming shutdown will also suspend guided tours of the facility, which are normally offered three times daily on weekdays. It remains unclear how operations at the adjacent National Corvette Museum will be affected during the extended break, though the museum is scheduled to close only on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Jan. 1, 2026.
The Bowling Green plant has been the exclusive production site for the Corvette since 1981. Corvette manufacturing began in Flint, Michigan, in 1953 before moving to St. Louis the following year. GM opened the Bowling Green facility on June 1, 1981, transferring much of its workforce from St. Louis and establishing the site as the sole home of America’s sports car.
Originally built as a Chrysler industrial air-conditioning plant, the 1.7 million-square-foot facility has undergone significant investment over the decades, including a $500 million retooling in 2017. Production was briefly halted in December 2021 after an EF3 tornado damaged the building, though no injuries were reported.
Shawn Henry