In late January, we told you that only Chevrolet’s top dealerships for Corvette sales, those that had sold at least four examples in the past year, would receive the new seventh-generation car when it goes on sale this fall as a 2014 model.

A new report now claims that less than one in three Chevrolet dealerships (about 900 out of the 3,000 Chevy dealerships in total) will have the new 2014 Corvette on their lots during the car’s initial sales phase.

The limited number of places to buy the Corvette is meant to help slow sales, so that production of the car can keep up with demand.

The information was revealed to Automotive News (subscription required) by a General Motors spokesman.

The spokesman explained that General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] wants to supply the initial run of Corvettes to those dealers that can sell them the quickest. The 900 chosen dealers are said to have accounted for as much as 80 percent of Corvette sales in 2012.

As for the rest of the dealerships, they will have to wait a further six to nine months to make orders for the new Corvette, which means they’re likely to miss out on the 2014 launch model.

Understandably, many are upset with the decision. Much of the chagrin is the loss of the Corvette’s halo effect, which often lures in potential customers just eager for a look at the iconic sports car.  

Another GM spokesman, Russ Clark, said all dealers knew early last year what benchmarks they would have to meet in order to receive the new car.  

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette goes on sale in the third quarter of the year, exclusively as the Corvette Stingray. A Corvette Stingray Convertible will be launched around the end of the year, followed by more variants in the coming years.

For our full coverage on the latest Corvette, click here.