When Tadge Juechter, the long-time chief engineer for the Corvette program, left nearly a year ago it seemed like just a normal retirement. But a number of other members of the sports car’s team have also left in recent months – and not voluntarily. That has many observers wondering: what’s going on at Corvette?
The late Zora Argus-Duntov, the spiritual godfather of “America’s sports car,” is shown with a 1966 Corvette.
The team that helped develop and market the most significant Corvette since the original version of “America’s sports car” debuted six decades ago is being dismantled.
And while one key member of that team clearly chose to retire, there are plenty of questions being asked about what really happened with two other senior Corvette executives.
At a time when the eighth-generation Corvette has been billed as a huge hit, it’s hard to understand what’s motivating the shake-up, several GM insiders – both current and former – have told Headlight.News. But they also note that a number of other cuts have been made at other GM programs, as well as at the company’s corporate-level staff.
Farewell to the chief
Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter and marketing chief Harlan Charles, (far right).
The shake-up began in April 2024 when Tadge Juechter announced his retirement. Then 67, Juechter had logged 47 years with General Motors, including 31 with the Corvette program.
He was named chief engineer – which he referred to as “the promotion of a lifetime” — on the two most recent iterations of the sports car. These included the seventh-generation, or C7, as well as the C8 which marked the first-ever mid-engine version of the 2-seater, positioning the ‘Vette as a more direct competitor to competitors such as Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari.
“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to work at this company, leading the men and women who have brought to life one of the most iconic and recognizable vehicles in recent American history,” Juechter said in a statement announcing his retirement.
“I know the future of the nameplate is in the right hands,” he concluded. But there have been some big changes to the hands at the wheel in recent weeks.
Retirement in name only
Long-time Corvette Project Manager Harlan Charles.
Perhaps the biggest surprise came last month with word that Harlan Charles, the tousled-haired Corvette Project Manager was not just leaving the program but exiting General Motors. True, he was no newcomer, having logged 37 years at General Motors; as with Juechter, most of that time working on Corvette.
While the departure has also been billed – officially – as a retirement, Charles has made it clear the word, “forced,” should be used as the active modifier.
Like most “retirees,” Charles is being generally circumspect about discussing the circumstances of his departure. But one doesn’t even have to read between the lines to know it’s not something he was planning on.
“My Corvette dream is over — my bubble burst,” wrote Charles, of his work on Corvette which began in 2001. “I am now retired. I can’t think about the future yet. I feel fortunate to have so made many friends over the years and customer relationships that have become family because of Corvette. I was your voice, and you helped us create what Corvette has become. I hope our friendships will continue even if I can’t help you anymore.”
More Corvette News
- First Look: The ZR1 is the “Ultimate” Corvette
- The Corvette E-Ray is Fast – and Easy to Live With
- Is the Long-Rumored Corvette Zora Coming?
Bennion exits
Kirk Bennion spent most of his career working on Corvette designs.
The latest team member out the door: Kirk Bennion, Corvette’s Exterior Design Manager. The circumstances surrounding his departure remain even more murky.
His resume at GM stretched back 41 years and while Corvette has been one of his primary assignments, he has worked on a handful of other projects in recent years, including the now-abandoned Chevrolet Camaro, as well as the bowtie brand’s Tahoe and TrailBlazer SUVs.
As with Charles, General Motors spokspersons declined to discuss personnel matters. But some reports, including on by the website CorvetteBlogger, claim Bennion was “recently fired.”
The blog described Bennion “a multi-faceted talent who not only could draw great vehicles, but his work in the wind tunnel and utilizing computational fluid dynamics to address how the air flows up, over, and around the car made him a standout on the Corvette team.”
What’s going on?
Incoming GM Global Design Director Bryan Nesbitt.
“I’m stunned that this happened. I worry that we have lost the people who listened to customers,” Jake Drennan, 69, of Merritt Island, Florida, who’s director of the Corvette C5, C6, C7, C8 Registry – which covers thousands of Corvette owners, told the Detroit News.
How Bennion might have gone sideways with top management is uncertain but his departure comes at a time when the top level at GM is in mid-transition. Last month, Michael Simcoe, himself a 42-year General Motors veteran, announced he was retiring. He’ll officially hand over the title of Senior Vice President – GM Global Design to Bryan Nesbitt on July 1. It’s not entirely out of the question that Nesbitt is already moving the chess pieces around to reflect his vision of what the operation will be moving forward.
As for Charles, there’s simply no clear answer. He was both liked and highly respected, having helped craft a Corvette program that has gained more global respect – and international sales – than ever before. The latest version, the ZR1, is not just the fastest and most powerful Corvette ever but is setting numerous records, such as lap times on the legendary German Nurburgring.
GM wields a sharp knife
GM’s cost-cutting moves include the upcoming move from its Renaissance Center headquarters to a smaller facility in downtown Detroit.
Several sources in and around GM did point to the fact that Charles would have been among a fairly expansive list of company veterans who were summarily terminated in recent months. That includes 38-year veteran Adam Bernard, the Associate Director, Competitor Intelligence, who was one of about 1,000 who learned they didn’t need to report back in when GM sent out an e-mail at 5 AM last November.
What’s behind all this? GM can’t say it’s going broke again. It had a great 2024 with record earnings and its best sales in years. Even so, insiders have noted ongoing efforts to trim costs to help cover the hefty price tag of the automaker’s battery-electric vehicle program.
But, while Corvette may not generate the sort of revenues of, say the Chevrolet Silverado program, “It doesn’t make a lot of sense that this would be an area you would cut back on” by eliminating such significant talent, said Sam Fiorani, principal analyst with AutoForecast Solutions.
Corvette’s future
The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is currently the only hybrid model offered by General Motors.
There are other possible reasons why the Corvette team has been hit with the GM knife, several sources said. Over the years there have been numerous high-level discussions about the brand’s future. Among other things, there’ve been advocates calling for Corvette to be shifted under the Cadillac umbrella or, even, spun off as a brand of its own.
In recent times, there’ve been those calling for other products to bear the Corvette badge, much as Ford has begun doing with the Mustang by launching the Mach-E, an all-electric SUV.
Corvette now has its first “electrified” model, the E-Ray hybrid. And GM President and product czar Mark Reuss indicated a couple years back that a fully electric version of the sports car would follow. That was highly controversial within the Corvette team, some of the folks who’ve left clearly convinced it wasn’t the right time to bring an EV to market – even though competitors such as Porsche and even Ferrari are moving in that direction.
Whether the debate over battery power or about extending the brand played a role in the shake-up remains a matter of speculation. But Corvette fans will be watching closely to see if more Corvette veterans wind up leaving the program anytime soon.
I figured they were getting rid of many managers over the age of 55 or so. Kirk Bennion is 63, so he had less than two years to go before GM’s traditional mandatory retirement age. Tadge Juchter was 67. Any reason to think these retirements are specific to Corvette, and not part of a broader move to reduce staff, with no apparent regard for talent?
I think the latter sentence nails it. But also moving without regard to stripping critical talents (plural) to a small team is a questionable strategy.
Paul E.
Just maybe GM management realized the ‘new’ corvette is terrible. It looks like it was designed by the local Junior High (in my opinion). It has no class. What was that great line, “lift the pen.”
Considering last year’s sales were within a hair’s breadth of the all-time record…and the ZR1 wasn’t available yet, with Z06 just accelerating…I think the market is fine with the new model.
Paul E.
Who approved the Camaro taillights?
GM doesn’t want innovative Americans designing world class sports cars, they want Corvette “branding”. GM wants corvette SUV’s and corvette “Johnny cabs”. They don’t need talented creative think out of the box car guys, they can copy all the euro trash sports cars for free, Corvette SUV’s don’t need high performance engineers, they need purchasers buying corvette logo flower vases for the dashboard of the Corvette suv “Barbie” edition. The vette vice president can’t even drive a vette, crashing the zr1 pace car at the Detroit GP. Nobody shed a tear when GM axed the Camaro. the car guys have left the GM building.
I left GM when I was 63 years old because I saw the handwriting on the proverbial wall. From my GM origin at Saturn Corporation I had made it to what seemed like an unlikely dream: 8th level Design Supervisor. After 9 years I was unceremoniously “re-leveled” back to 7th level. No monetary change, but a real hit to my ego.
I eventually decided that it was time to go. No regrets, but still sore. I can’t imagine how much of a shock these Corvette leaders have endured.
They made the legacy Zora Arkus Duntov created front page kitchen table and suddenly World Class and yes across the pond the GM team has surpassed any and all expectations We Say take a moment GM execs….This Team must be by your side for the General to take full credit…..
Harlan would be the perfect guy to run the Corvette Museum!
Government Motors don’t give a @$%^&.
The Corvette has evolved into an enormous design that leaves us empty. Killing machines like something out of a gamers CD collection. These should be banned from the street. GM and Ford has lost all touch with reality.
Not only were Kirk and Harlan dismissed (“…your work was not up to GM standards.”), but they screwed them out of their 2024 year-end bonus. That is a typical GM “thank you” for decades of passion, commitment, and dedication to the Corvette brand…speaks volumes for the leadership at the General.
It’s terrible to see GM destroying the team that has brought them such great Corvette success in recent years and actually ever since the game changing C5 ! Why ??? Perhaps because a disagreement re where GM wants to head , even with this highly revered division , that is , toward all EV ! A major mistake if actually happening . The many fans of Corvette will have a very hard time accepting a totally electrified car . ICE should continue to be a major part of any future Corvette . Sad farewell to friends of the Corvette Family , Harlan and Kirk ! 🥲 Bad enough losing Tadge ( hopefully voluntarily ) and now this !! 😡 . We’ll really miss those guys at Carlisle ! So worried about Corvette’s future .
No one last’s forever. A ‘next gen’ is several years away. At some point you need to refresh the team. Tony Roma is a great choice as the next chief. Everyone in the industry is downsizing given the national and international uncertainties. It’s a great outgoing team, but so is the incoming one.
While corvette has no undeniably done well, it (and the now dead camaro) had long since left their target audiences and market segments behind. I think that this shift will bring a new perspective, perhaps one that doesn’t see a 120k corvette or a 50k camaro as “affordable” and has an open enough mind to embrace both a sustainability and sinplicity/affordability focus. It’s no secret the average age of new car buyers has significantly shifted upward and GM knows they’ve been ignoring people under 40 for too long.