2012 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (left) and Corvette ZR1
GM announced today its all-American supercar, the Chevrolet Corvette, will be sold in South Korea for the first time.
The announcement comes after a less-restrictive trade agreement between South Korea and the U.S. took effect in March.
The agreement will also see some of GM’s South Korean-manufactured models introduced to the U.S. market, one of which will be the Spark minicar.
The Corvette will be sold by GM’s South Korean subsidiary GM Korea and will be Chevrolet’s ninth offering in the market. Other bow tie models already on offer include the Camaro, Cruze and Aveo.
As Fox News points out, the Corvette will still be taxed in South Korea so its starting price will be KRW86.4 million (approximately $76,300), a significant hike over the $49,600 starting price in the U.S., although this inflated price is still cheaper than comparable rivals.
The introduction of the Corvette in more international markets is part of GM’s plan to turn Chevrolet into a global name, from small cars to larger passenger vehicles and now sports cars as well. GM has also dropped the Daewoo brand in most markets, replacing it with Chevrolet, and more recently it consolidated its global ad budget, picking advertising group Commonwealth for most of its business.
First sales of the Chevrolet Corvette in South Korea commence Friday.