Corvette Stingray price gouging begins in earnest

If you're aching to get the new, seventh-generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, be prepared to deal with ransom demands. On the lead up to the hugely anticipated C7's arrival in dealers, Automotive News is reporting that some dealers have already tacked on a little extra to the Stingray's MSRP.

Price gouging, particularly on a car that's as eagerly awaited as the Corvette Stingray shouldn't be a huge shock, but that makes it no less of a disturbing trend. No wonder some folks want to do away with dealers all together. As AN points out, the markups can mean a load of cash coming into dealers, but in the case of one California dealership that quoted the owner of a Volt (which was a victim of price gouging itself) at $10,000 above the Stingray's sticker price, it can also alienate previous customers that are anxious to add a C7 to their stable, leading to a permanent loss of business.

Not all dealers are bad guys, though. AN goes on to quote, via email, the Corvette sales manager at a leading Columbus, OH Chevy dealer, saying, "Guys who go above sticker - that's a one-shot deal. These are customers who you're going to see again, and they'll remember that. I'm looking at the bigger picture." Hear, hear.

Still, a lot of dealers don't see it that way. Automotive News spoke to an anonymous dealer in the western US (yes, they're so anonymous we don't even have a state) that is planning on gouging based on reports from mystery shoppers that have seen prices range from $10,000 to $20,000 above the Corvette's $51,995 MSRP.