Report: Corvette sales enjoying modest uptick after years of 'freefall'

According to Automotive News, General Motors has seen Corvette sales increase slightly after months of decline. The General's sports car saw sales jump by 13 percent in both January and February compared to the same months one year ago. All told, Chevrolet saw 955 Corvette models slip off of dealer lots in the first two months of 2011. That's good news for General Motors. Well, maybe good is too strong of a word.

See, Corvette sales haven't exactly been breaking any records as of late. Automotive News reports that, since 2006, the vehicle's sales have been in a steady state of freefall. In fact, back then Corvette models were selling at a rate of roughly 3,000 units per month for a total of 36,518 vehicles. Last year, that figure was just 12,624.

So, why the slump? It's no secret that C6 Corvette is growing long in the tooth. The latest generation of the baddest Bow Tie was introduced in 2006, and muscle cars like the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang are now flexing similar power figures for significantly less cash. While it's true that neither of those offerings can deliver the kind of handling that the still-wicked Corvette serves up, the majority of the population simply doesn't care.

Photos copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / AOL

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]