Clare MacKichan is best known for designing or overseeing the design of several significant models for the Chevrolet division in the United States and Opel in Germany.
23 Facts About Clare MacKichan
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Clare MacKichan graduated from the University of Michigan in 1937 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
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Clare MacKichan started as an apprentice designer with the Buick division of GM in 1939.
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When World War II broke out Clare MacKichan left GM to work on defense projects, and returned to the company in 1943.
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When Clare MacKichan returned to GM he worked for the Fisher Body division.
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Clare MacKichan would have a long association with the Corvette, overseeing all Corvette styling from the early 1950s well into the 1960s.
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Clare MacKichan spoke at Covette-themed events, and kept Corvette parts in his office.
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Clare MacKichan drew the shape for the Corvette-based 1954 Chevrolet Nomad Motorama concept car.
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Clare MacKichan led development of the four-seat Impala concept car that debuted the same year, incorporating several Corvette styling cues in the car.
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Clare MacKichan did the first sketches and led the design effort that resulted in the Motoramic style embodied in the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, the first of what came to be called the "Tri-Five" Chevrolets.
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Clare MacKichan then revisited the shape for minor redesigns in 1956 and 1957.
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Clare MacKichan was responsible for the shape of the 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS racing car.
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Clare MacKichan was team lead for the group that developed the "Sculpturamic" design language used for the 1958 Chevrolet line.
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Shortly afterwards Clare MacKichan was chief designer of another compact Chevrolet; the 1962 Chevy II.
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In 1962 Clare MacKichan transferred to GM's wholly owned German subsidiary, Opel.
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The design that Clare MacKichan is most closely associated with from his time at Opel is the Opel GT.
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Back in the US Clare MacKichan was made Executive in Charge of Advanced Design and Engineering for Design Staff.
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Clare MacKichan started work on a new rear-engined concept car called the XP-892 in January 1968.
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Clare MacKichan was involved in what would become another Corvette project with the XP-897 concept car, later called the 2-Rotor Corvette.
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Clare MacKichan died on 10 February 1996 in Nokomis, Florida.
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Clare MacKichan was survived by wife Edith and four children; Kathleen, Carol, Janis, and Robert.
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In 2011 Clare MacKichan was posthumously inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame at the National Corvette Museum.
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Presentation of the Clare M MacKichan Memorial Award is a feature of some classic Chevrolet conventions.