Kindig-It’s Stunning 1953 Corvette Wins Ridler Award at 2024 Detroit Autorama

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This 1953 Corvette is a complete custom build constructed from the ground up out of aluminum and one-off parts. 

Kindig-It Design is a familiar name within the custom car world, largely due to the fact that it’s also the subject of the TV show Bitchin’ Rides. However, Kindig-It also churns out some of the coolest custom vehicles on the planet, a list that includes more than a few Corvettes, coupled with a wide array of one-off examples of just about anything one can imagine. One of Kindig-It’s most recent builds – this stunning 1953 Corvette put together for Dave and Tracy Maxwell – just won one of the most prestigious awards in the business, too.

That particular honor is the Ridler Award, handed out each year at the Detroit Autorama to recognize the finest custom vehicle on the planet – one that has never been shown before, and falls under a number of strict guidelines. It’s a highly coveted honor that only a select few, elite builders have ever achieved, and now, we can add this amazing 1953 Corvette and the folks at Kindig-It Design to that short list.

 

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As one might imagine, it took a lot of effort to put this completely hand-built 1953 Corvette together – in fact, Kindig-It spent a whopping five years on that process, all in total secrecy behind closed doors so that Ridler rules could be followed. That means there’s nothing here that’s shared with a stock 1953 Corvette, as the whole car was custom built from the ground up from raw aluminum, with an exterior design inspired by the 1954 Corvette Corvair concept, albeit rolling on a set of one-off wheels and sporting its own unique take on that model.

The mechanicals present in this custom build are no less unique and impressive, as it’s powered by an LS-based V12 built by Race Cast Engineering out of Australia, which churns out an easy 800-1,000 horsepower, depending on tune. It’s mated to an 8L90E gearbox, sending power to the wheels via a custom suspension setup utilizing coilovers and a cantilever design that looks every bit as cool as how it operates.

Kindig-It notes that this 1953 Corvette was built with no budget and no cap on how long it would take, which is essentially what it takes these days to secure a Ridler Award. Regardless, it’s an achievement that few will ever reach, and now, both the company that built this amazing machine and the folks that own it have the ultimate bragging rights.

Photos: Kindig-It Design

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