KEVIN MACKAY

Founder of Corvette Repair, Inc.

Kevin’s love for Corvettes began in 1978 while working at a Chevrolet dealership at the age of 21. That year the Corvette Pace Car was released as the 25th Anniversary model, and his dealership received one. Kevin was responsible for preparing the car for delivery, and the experience left an indelible impression. He officially caught the Corvette “bug,” though at the time he believed he would never own one because they were too expensive.

After a few short years of hard work (and being fired from nearly every job, including Burger King), he purchased his first Corvette—a 1964 convertible—at age 23. “I spent my life savings and never looked back,” Kevin recalls. He later bought a 1965 Coupe, restored it, trailered it to Bloomington, and earned a Gold certificate with the highest score in its class. Despite opposition from his family, he decided to open his own Corvette repair and restoration business.

Kevin officially opened Corvette Repair, Inc. in 1985, renting a one-bay garage inside an auto repair shop in Valley Stream, New York. His current custom-built facility opened in 1987 and is currently being expanded to serve a growing base of Corvette collectors. When it comes to finding, repairing, and restoring C1, C2, and C3 Corvettes—from basic drivers to the most valuable examples—Kevin stands apart for doing the work the correct way.

His book, Kevin Mackay’s Greatest Corvette Finds: The Corvette Hunter, recounts the stories of some of the rarest Corvettes he has recovered. In the foreword, Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson dubbed him the “Mr. October of Corvettes.” Wayne Carini’s The Chase magazine (Fall 2022) called him “The King of Corvettes.” Over more than 40 years, Kevin and his team of expert craftsmen have earned thousands of awards, been featured in hundreds of magazine articles, appeared on more than 100 magazine covers, and been profiled in numerous books. His passion for America’s Sports Car has never waned.

Early Involvement with the National Corvette Museum

In 1991 Kevin, a founding member, opened the “NCM Annex” to help raise contributions for the National Corvette Museum. He displayed three cars: a 1960 Red/Red Corvette, a 1966 427/425 Rolling Chassis, and a 1967 427/435 Drivable Chassis (the first of its kind and one of his earliest creations). Corvette Repair, Inc. is a lifetime member of the National Corvette Museum, which officially opened in 1994. Notable displays over the years have included the 1969 Factory L88 Rebel Racer (found in a junkyard in 1991 for $7,000, later restored, and sold at Barrett-Jackson for $2.86 million) and a 1967 Factory L88 suspended St. Louis body drop. In 2006 Chevrolet requested that the shop build three big-block engines for the SEMA Show.

Major Projects & Recognition

In 2011 the documentary The Quest chronicled the 1960 Cunningham #3 Le Mans class-winning Corvette. Kevin played an active role in reintroducing the car to the Le Mans race track in 2010 alongside John Fitch and Lance Miller.

In 2012 Kevin was inducted into the Bloomington Gold Great Hall as one of the 50 most significant people who influenced the Corvette phenomenon. He holds NCRS Master Judge and Bloomington Gold Benchmark Judge status. Cars he has worked on have earned unprecedented awards, including NCRS Top Flight, Bloomington Gold, and Triple Diamond honors, totaling 1,753 awards to date across Corvette events nationwide for more than 40 years.

In July 2014 he served as Grand Marshal of the Corvette Homecoming in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He has presented seminars across the United States and Canada at NCRS National Conventions, Bloomington Gold events, Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, and the National Corvette Museum. In 2015 he was invited to serve on the “My Classic Garage Expert Panel.” In 2018 he was selected as one of the top 20 restorers in America—and the only top restorer specializing in Corvettes.

Notable Corvettes Recovered & Restored

Among the many significant Corvettes Kevin has recovered and restored are:

• 1953 #003 Corvette Cutaway (now on permanent display at the National Corvette Museum)

• 1956 SR-2 Racer

• 1956 Sebring Racer #3

• 1957 Sebring Racers #3 & #4 (class winners)

• 1957 FI Airbox

• 1959 Purple People Eater (BP National Champion)

• 1960 Cunningham #1 Le Mans Racer

• 1960 Cunningham #3 Le Mans class winner

• 1962 Yenko Gulf Oil Racer (class winner)

• 1963 Pininfarina Rondine

• 1964 XP-819 (now on display at the NCM)

• 1964 CERV II

• 1964 GM Styling Coupe

• 1966 Development L88 Roger Penske Racer (class winner)

• 1966 Daytona #67 Racer

• 1966 Daytona 8 Ball Racer

• 1967 L88 Dana Racer

• 1968 L88 Sunray DX Racers #2 & #3 (class winners)

• 1968 L88 Owens/Corning Racer (AP National Champion)

• 1968 L88 Rebel Le Mans Racer

• 1968 L88 Leldon Blackwell Racer

• 1968 L88 Bandaid Racer

• 1969 L88 Rebel Racer (class winner)

• 1969 V.V. Cook Racer (4× BP National Champion)

• 1969 Baldwin Motion Phase III & Phase III GT

• BFG Greenwood Stars & Stripes Racers #48, #49 & #50

• Numerous 1967–1969 L88s, including an original 1969 factory ZL1 Convertible that set a C3 world record at $3.14 million

He has also worked on five world-record-priced Corvettes spanning 1957 to 1971, and the original-owner 1967 Corvette Roadster belonging to the President of the United States.

Unique Creations Collection

Kevin’s “Unique Creations” collection includes:

• 1953 #003 Corvette Cutaway

• 1964 XP-819 rear-engined Drivable Chassis

• 1965 See-Thru first Heavy Duty Mark IV Engine

• 1966 Suspended Body 425 HP

• 1966 Daytona Drivable Chassis 425 HP Race Car

• 1967 Drivable Chassis 435 HP

• 1967 Suspended Body 435 HP

• 1967 Engineering ZL1 Engine (featured on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine, December 1968)

• 1968 L88 Sunray DX Cutaway

• 1969 L88 See-Thru

• 1969 L88 Sideways Chassis

• 1971 ZR2

Recent News

Corvette Repair, Inc. is celebrating more than 40 years in business (1985–2026).

• April 29, 2022 – Kevin Mackay nominated as a finalist for induction into the National Corvette Hall of Fame

• April 26, 2024 – Kevin Mackay nominated as a finalist for induction into the National Corvette Hall of Fame

• April 28, 2025 – Kevin Mackay nominated as a finalist for induction into the National Corvette Hall of Fame

Guest Speaker Appearances

• Hagerty / The Amelia – March 3, 2023: Seminar “Corvette at Le Mans”

• NCRS National Conventions, Regionals, and local chapter events

• Corvettes at Carlisle (Pennsylvania & Florida)

• Houston Expo, Texas

• Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, Chicago, Illinois

• Bloomington Gold (Illinois & Indiana)

• National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Kentucky

• NCRS Quebec Chapter Meet, Canada

• Top Vette, Watertown, New York

• Many local Corvette clubs in the Northeast

• Chevy Vette Fest, Chicago, Illinois

• Mid America Motor Works, Effingham, Illinois

• Barrett-Jackson Auction, Scottsdale, Arizona

• Russo & Steele Auction, Scottsdale, Arizona

• Hershey Museum, Pennsylvania

• Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

• Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival

• Hendrick Motorsports

• Sardi’s Restaurant, New York – Madison Ave Sports Car Driving & Chowder Society

• Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Bloomington Gold – June 11–13, 2026: Seminar “Restoring & Bringing Legends Back to Life”

• Classic Auto Mall Podcast – June 3, 2026: “Incredibly Rare Corvettes Built by Kevin Mackay of Corvette Repair Inc.”

• Numerous TV, radio, cable, and podcast interviews

Organized Corvette Race Car Reunions & Participation

• Corvettes at Carlisle (5 times), Pennsylvania

• Bloomington Gold (Illinois & Indiana)

• National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Kentucky

• Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, Florida

• NCRS National Conventions, Regionals, and local chapter events

• Concours d’Elegance at St. Johns, Michigan

• Laguna Seca Racetrack – Chevrolet 50th Anniversary invitation, Monterey, California

• Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, Chicago, Illinois

• Chevy Vette Fest, Chicago, Illinois

• Elkhart Lake Race Track, Wisconsin

• Watkins Glen Race Track, New York

• Lime Rock Race Track, Connecticut

• Yenko Race Car Reunion, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Simeone Foundation Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Klassic Automobile Museum, Florida

• Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, California

• Gilmore Car Museum, Hickory Corners, Michigan

• American Muscle Car Museum, Melbourne, Florida

• Texas State Fair

• 70th Anniversary Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Monterey, California

Committee Contributions

• Bloomington Gold Collection Committee

• Bloomington Gold Great Hall Committee

• Bloomington Gold Senior Instructor

• Bloomington Gold Benchmark Judge

• NCRS Master Judge

• Corvettes at Carlisle Celebrity Judge

• Mid America Motor Works Celebrity Judge

• National Corvette Museum Celebrity Judge

• RM Auctions Consultant

• Bonhams Auctions Consultant

• Gooding & Company Classic Car Auctions Consultant

• My Classic Garage Expert Panel

• Chip Miller Charitable Foundation, Board Member

Associated National Corvette Museum Hall of Famers (Team Seminars)

Dick Guldstrand (1999), Dave McLellan (1999), Dick Thompson (2000), John Fitch (2000), Gib Hufstader (2001), James Jeffords (2002), Noland Adams (2003), Dan Gale (2004), Ray Battaglini (2004), Chip Miller (2005), Doug Hooper (2007), Allan & Don Barker (2008), Anthony DeLorenzo & Gerald Thompson (2009), Fred Gallasch (2010), Bob McDorman (2012), Will Cooksey (2013), Jerry Burton (2014), Rick Hendrick (2015), Ralph Kramer (2016), Donna Mae Mimms (2016), Burt & John Greenwood (2018), Mike Yager (2018), Tom Peters (2019)

Personal Corvette Collection

• 1960 Tanker

• 1962 Tanker

• 1963 Yenko Z06 Tanker

• 1966 Development L88 Roger Penske Racer

• 1967 Factory L88 Dana Racer

• 1968 Factory L88 Bandaid Racer

• 1969 Factory L88 Black/Black Sidepipe “See-Thru”

• 1969 Factory L88 Daytona/Sebring Racer

• 1969 Factory L88 Blue/Blue

Media Coverage

• MotorTrend Auto Biography 2021 – History of the Cunningham Corvettes with Kevin Mackay

• Kevin Mackay’s Greatest Corvette Finds: The Corvette Hunter (book)

• Vette Vues Magazine – Contributing monthly articles

• 48 Hours TV, Velocity Channel, Corvette Nation cable

• Contributed and serviced Corvettes for the films Trees Lounge (Steve Buscemi & Chloë Sevigny) and Con Air(Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Steve Buscemi & John Malkovich)

• Hundreds of magazine and newspaper features, including The New York Times and New York Post, plus numerousbooks

• Column writer for Corvette World Magazine

• “What to Look for When Buying Corvettes” video

• Serviced the original-owner 1967 Corvette of the President of the United States

• My Classic Car with Dennis Gage

• Motormouth Radio (Long Island, NY) – multiple guest appearances

• Meccanic Shop / 1600 Veloce – multiple video interviews

• MCACN 2023: Interviews with Motor Trend TV, Wayne Carini, and Frank Pope (Vettester.com)

• Steve Garrett – CorvetteTodayPodcast.com (multiple interviews)

• Mike Yager interview on the XP-819

• Technical articles for Corvette Fever magazine

• Writer for Sports Car Market Magazine