2008 and 2009 Corvette Promos Cancelled

[7000in5th]

Just got the note below from a promo supplier; what do you think this means for the kit business?

David Palmeter

Dear Fellow Promotional Car Collector,

Unfortunately, I am writing to you with some very disappointing news.

The company responsible for arranging for the production of the 2008 and 2009 Corvette promotional cars has just informed me that they have cancelled all orders for these promos. There will be none produced this year.

Complications have arisen due to the desperate economic conditions both at General Motors and in China. With these uncertainties, coupled with depressed economic conditions worldwide, the company has pulled the plug on these 2008 and 2009 promos.

Unfortunately, this news does not get any better, but gets worse. After talking with these folks, it appears that this may finally be the end of all future new Corvette promotional models. After struggling with this issue for many months, they are reluctant to begin the process again. I’m afraid that this is likely the end of these promos.

For those of you, like myself, who are avid promotional car fans, I do apologize for this disappointment. For those of you who have paid in advance for your orders, I will begin this weekend to write your refund checks for the promos and shipping charges which you have paid. For those of you who have used Paypal to pay, the added Paypal fees go to Paypal, and since I do not receive them, I cannot return these fees. You all should receive your refunds in the next two weeks.

If anything changes, I will let you know immediately. I the meantime, if I can be of any further service to your promo needs, please keep me in mind.

Best Regards,

Bob Reck

[ismaelg]

I was about to post the sad news. You beat me to it

As a pace car promo collector myself, this is very sad indeed

There goes my hopes for a ZR1 or other pace cars kits

:D

[Zoom Zoom]

I was about to post the sad news. You beat me to it

As a pace car promo collector myself, this is very sad indeed

There goes my hopes for a ZR1 or other pace cars kits

It says nothing about full glue kits, I doubt that Revell would kill all new Corvette models merely because they won't be making the curbside promos. It might limit future curbside Corvette kits, but I would assume a ZR1 full-detail kit would have to be on Revell's radar.

Now if GM/Chrysler/Ford and ?? go out of business, that would definitely affect kits.

If there's been any tooling done for those promos (like wheels), we may see them in future curbside C6's.

I haven't bought/collected promos in a long time. It's too bad if the only way you can get the pace cars is via promos, but w/GM's dire situation I can imagine promos are the easiest kind of expense to cut, if the product doesn't make them enough money.

[robertw]

I'm sorry to hear that news David as I've also been a collector of Corvette promos for many years. When economic times get better perhaps we'll see them back, at least for the time being I'll try to be optimistic.

As to what it may do to the kit industry?? At a minimum it will probably reduce the number of curbside kits being produced and unfortunately those are the kits that are useful for bring the younger modellers into the fold, and us old coots whose eyes aren't good enough to detail engines anymore.

Greenlight seems to be producing the Pace cars in, SHUDDER, diecast so if nothing changes we'll have to start filling our shelves with them. Revell might also update their '05 C6 conv with the Z06 steering wheel and the wheels from their last Indy pace car to do another kit run of the current C6 conv.

robw

[crispy]

I was sad to hear this too. Although I only have a couple of the promo Corvettes I certainly enjoy them for what they are. I have a couple more I want to add to my collection so I suppose I better hop onto it before they go up up up in price.

As for Green-light, for the money, I think they are nice.

I just hope we get the ZR1. That would be a real shame not to have in plastic. It's a beautiful car with some long legs and I think lots could be done with that kit and its parts.

Chris

[Pokey]

I would imagine Revell will do the ZR1. As much as the automotive press loves this car, and even publications and automotive writers who HATE GM love this car, with some even going as far as calling it the BEST super-car ever made!

Not to mention it is the fastest, most powerful, best handling, and most expensive Corvette ever made. How could they make a kit of practically every other Corvette ever made, and then NOT make a kit of the most badass Corvette ever made?

C'mon Revell, you HAVE to make a kit of the best performance car America has ever made!