TwelveAir: The Corvette That Never Was — and the Legend It Became
Some cars are restored. Some are customized. TwelveAir was born from an entirely different philosophy — one of pure imagination, craftsmanship, and engineering audacity. Conceived and built in total secrecy at Kindig-it Design, this all-aluminum, 1953 Corvette-inspired custom is the car Chevrolet never made — and the automotive world can’t stop talking about.
Five Years in the Making
Work on TwelveAir began as a passion project tucked away in a locked-off section of the Kindig-it shop, hidden even from the cameras of our TV series. Over five years, our team hand-crafted every single piece — not a single part from an original Corvette was used, and no CF1 production components were repurposed. This was a one-off from the ground up, a love letter to early Corvette styling fused with bleeding-edge design.
The name TwelveAir comes from the car’s most jaw-dropping secret: a bespoke 9.2L V-12 LS-based engine from Race Cast Engineering, good for around 650 horsepower and paired with a chassis design that makes the engine a structural, load-bearing component.
Crafted from the Inside Out
The body is a masterclass in metal shaping — formed entirely from 3003 aluminum using traditional bucks and English wheel work. The chassis uses 6061 aluminum in a monocoque-style design for lightness and rigidity. From there, engineering took cues from F1 and Indy cars with a pushrod suspension and a single horizontal coilover spring per end for razor-sharp handling.
Every detail was obsessively considered:
- Wheels: Custom one-off EVOD monolug five-spokes, 19×8 up front and 20×12 in the rear, with hidden hardware.
- Interior: Fully 3D-printed dash and console wrapped in sienna leather, diamond-inlaid gauge markings, and a cockpit designed as functional art.
- Lighting & Hidden Details: Pop-up taillights that conceal the fuel filler and EV charging port.
- Paint: Modern Classikk’s “Infrared” with “Sagebrushed” satin bronze accents for an unmistakable presence.
From Unveiling to Unstoppable
When TwelveAir was finally unveiled at the 2024 Detroit Autorama, it didn’t just debut — it dominated. Winning the Ridler Award on its very first outing was the perfect launch for a year that would be packed with trophies, accolades, and jaw-dropped crowds across the country.
2024 Award Roster
- World of Wheels Detroit Autorama – Ridler Award
- World of Wheels Detroit Autorama – Great 8
- World of Wheels Salt Lake City Autorama – Wasatch Award
- World of Wheels Salt Lake City Autorama – Outstanding Individual Display
- World of Wheels Salt Lake City Autorama – Best Custom
- Triple Crown of Rodding – Street Cruiser of the Year
- World of Wheels Chicago Autorama – Legends Cup
- John D’Agostino – Crystal Award
- Roadster Shop SEMA – Best of The Rest
- 31st Summit Racing Lone Star Nationals presented by BASF – Most Bitchin’
- World of Wheels Houston Autorama – Milwinder
More Than a Showpiece
TwelveAir isn’t just a Ridler-winning trailer queen — it’s fully engineered to be driven. The chassis balance, the V-12’s power delivery, and the precision suspension mean this car feels as good on the road as it looks under the lights. It’s a rolling testament to what’s possible when design freedom, craftsmanship, and engineering brilliance are all pushed to their limits.
This build was never about re-creating history. It was about imagining a Corvette that could have existed in 1953 if money, technology, and time were no object — and then making it real.
Twelve cylinders. All aluminum. No compromises.
Welcome to TwelveAir.
