[1]At the peak of their popularity, Corvettes are driven by everyone from baseball stars to astronauts, making it one of the most iconic cars in American history. Young and middle-aged men of means often opted for the Corvette over a Cadillac because of its sporty exuberance, but the last few decades have seen the average age of Corvette buyers grow alongside the car itself.
[2]With the average age of a new Corvette buyer clocking in around 59 years old, GM is hoping to attract a younger, hipper crowd with the 2014 Corvette Stingray [3], reports USA Today [4]. GM is hoping the kind of upwardly-mobile 40-somethings looking to reward themselves might consider a Corvette over the competition.
That’s why the Corvette C7 looks radically different from any of its predecessors, even though it is still unmistakably a Corvette. In order to attract younger customers, GM also had to step up the quality of the interior, both in fit and finish, as well as adding smartphone connectivity and a customizable digital dashboard [5] that catches the eye of younger generations.
But the Corvette still has to shake off the stodgy reputation of many older owners, and that could be harder than building a sports car that appeals to two drastically different generations of would-be buyers. Still, GM has instilled some youthful vigor in the Buick brand, dropping the average age of buyers from 66 in 2006 down to 57 in 2013.
If GM can work that same magic on the 2014 Corvette, than it just might hit that target age of mid-to-upper 40s. They could attract some athletes or young Hollywood stars as well, especially with GM set to return to the Super Bowl as a major advertiser for next season’s big game. Seeing the Super Bowl MVP doing donuts in a brand new Corvette is a great way to generate buzz…