GM/Chevrolet Category
2011 Induction
March 10, 1918-February 10, 1996
Clare “Mac” MacKichan was instrumental in the design and success of all Chevrolets in the mid-twentieth century. In his position as Chief Designer of the Chevrolet Studio, General Motors Design Staff, he was directly responsible for the design of all the Corvettes through the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as the ‘57 Corvette SS race car. Colleagues state MacKichan was an excellent boss and designer who truly cared about his profession and the people around him. It was under his guidance that the 1954 Motorama Corvettes were designed. He also contributed to the styling of the four-seat Impala, the Brookwood and Yeoman station wagons, the Chevy II, the Bel Air, and the rest of the Tri-Five Chevrolets.
MacKichan’s expertise earned him other high-level positions with GM. From 1962-1967, he served as Director of Design for GM’s Opel AG in Germany. When MacKichan returned to the United States, he became Executive in Charge of Advanced Design and Engineering for Design Staff. In this role, he contributed to the development of the XP-987 Two-Rotor Corvette.
While MacKichan did not always work on the Corvette brand, he participated in many Corvette activities, often appearing and speaking at car shows and events all over the country. He would even decorate his office with parts of Corvettes that had been thrown away. MacKichan owned Corvettes and truly loved having a role in the creation and evolution of America’s Sports Car. Sadly, MacKichan passed away in 1996, but his contributions to the Corvette live on.
