Automakers choosing to play in the tough 2-seater game must have bulletproof business plans and crisp execution. GM's 3 failures in the 1980s provide some guidelines.
• Business plan must envision a profit at small volume, or anticipate a loss.
• Shared plant and components are essential to keep costs down.
• An expensive assembly process and a dedicated plant all but guarantee failure.
• New entry must be finished and fully competitive out of the box, not a work in progress.
• Styling must be distinctive; so-so "safe" designs need not apply.
• Performance and dynamics must be class-competitive, if not class-leading.
• Pricing it too high, or increasing the price to compensate for low volume, will drive down volume even more.
The Chevrolet Corvette, unveiled at the 1953 General Motors Motorama in New York, was a toothy-grilled, rocket-tailed concept meant to be America's answer to the growing number of European sports cars. And it wowed car-loving postwar Americans.
