** ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE 96-01-361 CREATED ON 12/09/96
AT 16:51 **
TO: SELECTED CHEVROLET DEALERS
SUBJECT: 1997 CORVETTE LAUNCH UPDATE
***** CONFIDENTIAL
*****
AS A HIGH-VOLUME CORVETTE DEALER, YOUR DEALERSHIP WILL BE
ONE OF THE FIRST TO RECEIVE THE ALL-NEW 1997 CORVETTES EARLY
NEXT YEAR, AND YOU'LL BE PLEASED TO KNOW THAT IT IS THE BEST
CORVETTE WE'VE EVER BUILT -- EXCEEDING THE EXPECTATIONS OF
EVERYONE.
NO MATTER HOW MANY SPECULATIVE STORIES YOU MAY HAVE READ,
OUR SPECIAL "CLOSED ANNOUNCEMENT" STRATEGY FOR THE CORVETTE
HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL. THERE'S A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF
ANTICIPATION INDEED FOR THE NEW CAR -- JUST AS WE HOPED
THERE WOULD BE -- AND IT'S TIME NOW FOR US TO REVIEW THE
FINAL STAGES OF THIS PRODUCT ROLLOUT WITH YOU.
EARLLY CARS PRODUCED AT BOWLING GREEN HAVE BEEN USED FOR
FINAL TESTING & VALIDATION, DEALER TRAINING SESSIONS, AND AN
EARLY INTRODUCTION OF THE CAR TO MEMBERS OF THE NEWS MEDIA.
THE REACTION FROM ENGINEERS, DEALERS AND AUTO WRITERS ALIKE
COULD BEST BE SUMMED UP IN JUST ONE WORD -- "WOW".
SALEABLE CORVETTE PRODUCTION HAS BEGUN AND, AS WE'VE TOLD
YOU BEFORE, EACH OF OUR HIGH-VOLUME CORVETTE DEALERS WILL BE
SUPPLIED WITH AT LEAST ONE CAR FOR AN IN-DEALERSHIP CLOSED
ANNOUNCEMENT ACTIVITY ON THE SAME DATE.
PAGE TWO
THAT IN-DEALERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT DATE WILL NOT BE JANUARY 6TH
AS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE ASSUMED. IT WILL BE A FEW WEEKS
AFTER THAT. WE'LL BE GIVING YOU NOTICE FOUR WEEKS AHEAD OF
TIME REGARDING THE ACTUAL DATE SO THAT YOU CAN FINALIZE YOUR
IN-DEALERSHIP PLANS.
OUR BRAND TEAM HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR FROM THE START THAT
CORVETTE START-OF-SALE WOULD BE IN THE 1ST QUARTER OF 1997,
AND THAT WE WOULD NOT "PULL THE TRIGGER" ON THE IN-
DEALERSHIP CLOSED ANNOUNCEMENT PREMATURELY -- I.E., UNTIL
ALL HIGH-VOLLUME CORVETTE DEALERS HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE
CAR -- AND WE ARE STICKING TO THAT COMMITMENT.
OUR PLANS FROM THE BEGINNING WERE TO REVEAL THE CAR TO THE
PUBLIC AT THE NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW IN
DETROIT, AND AT THE LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW, ON JANUARY 6TH.
THESE AUTO SHOWS AND PRESS REVEALS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF
OUR LAUNCH STRATEGY. YOU WILL SEE AN ENORMOUS WAVE OF
CORVETTE PUBLICITY IN THE NEWS MEDIA AND ENTHUSIAST
MAGAZINES IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER. THIS PUBLICITY WILL
HEIGHTEN AWARENESS AND CREATE MORE TRAFFIC AT YOUR
DEALERSHIP DURING YOUR CLOSED ANNOUNCEMENT.
THE CARS AT THE AUTO SHOWS WILL BE ON TURNTABLES OR
PLATFORMS. YOUR DEALERSHIP WILL STILL BE THE ONLY PLACE
PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY SIT IN AND
EXPERIENCE THE REAL THING; AND BELEIVE ME, AS THIS THING
PLAYS OUT THEY ARE GOING TO WANT TO DO JUST THAT !
WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR CORVETTE, KEEP IT COVERED AND OUT OF
SIGHT UNTIL THE BIG DAY. THE CORVETTE REVEAL AT YOUR
DEALERSHIP REPRESENTS AN OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU
APPROACH IT WITH ENTHUSIASM AND CREATIVE ENERGY.
WE WILL BE SHARING MORE INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL IDEAS
WITH YOU OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS. PLEASE KEEP YOUR
INTEREST IN THE CORVETTE LAUNCH ON THE FRONT BURNER. THINGS
ARE GOING TO MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY FROM THIS POINT ON.
RON SOBRERU
GENERAL SALES AND SERVICE MANAGER