Short answer: The Kindig CF1 is a modern, low-volume coach-built car that translates the look of the 1953 Corvette into a carbon-fiber-bodied automobile with a custom chassis, independent suspension, modern cabin, and a 650-horsepower-class LS-based V8. It is supercar-grade in performance intent, construction, and exclusivity—but it is not a Chevrolet production model or an original 1953 Corvette with upgraded parts.
A 1953 Corvette silhouette with thoroughly modern hardware
The Kindig CF1 creates its impact through contradiction. From a distance, it recalls the upright grille, rounded fenders, open cockpit, and clean roadster shape of the first Corvette. Up close, its carbon-fiber body, LED lighting, modern wheels, independent suspension, custom interior, and high-output LS powertrain reveal a completely different kind of automobile.
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Kindig-it Design calls the CF1 a modern coach-built masterpiece. That description is more precise than simply calling it a new Corvette. Chevrolet does not produce the CF1, and it is not sold through Chevrolet dealers as a current Corvette model. Kindig-it Design develops and builds it as a limited-production, individually specified automobile.
The fairest performance description is a supercar-grade, coach-built reinterpretation of the 1953 Corvette. The CF1 has the power, low-volume construction, carbon-fiber bodywork, and six-figure market presence associated with supercars, but its identity remains rooted in American custom-car culture and restomod engineering rather than a factory exotic-car program.
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Kindig CF1 specifications at a glance
| Item | CF1 details |
|---|---|
| Builder | Kindig-it Design |
| Design reference | 1953 Chevrolet Corvette |
| Body construction | Carbon fiber |
| Chassis | Modified Roadster Shop Spec 7 platform |
| Suspension | Independent suspension using C7 Corvette-derived geometry, aluminum control arms, and Fox coilovers |
| Engine | Lingenfelter Eliminator Spec S 427 LS, with LS3 ported heads, LSX springs, and Borla eight-stack injection on the current CF1 specification page |
| Advertised engine output | 650 horsepower; Kindig-it reports 554 peak horsepower and 507 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels for its latest CF1 |
| Transmission | 4L80E four-speed automatic |
| Approximate weight | About 3,000 pounds on the current specification page; earlier coverage described a fully fueled target below 3,300 pounds |
| Body styles | Roadster, Cabriolet, and Fastback |
| Cabin equipment | Power steering, tilt column, adjustable custom seats, Dakota Digital gauges, concealed Bluetooth audio, and Vintage Air heating and air conditioning |
These figures should not be treated as a universal specification sheet for every CF1. Individual cars can use different LS-based engines, fuel-injection systems, wheels, interiors, trim, and other commissioned details.
Why the CF1 looks like a 1953 Corvette
The historical reference is specific. The original Corvette debuted publicly at GM’s Motorama at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria on January 17, 1953. The first production example was completed in Flint, Michigan, on June 30, 1953, and the entire first production run consisted of 300 cars. Those cars wore Polo White paint, red interiors, and black tops.
That combination explains the significance of white-and-red CF1 builds and the way Kindig-it presents the car. The CF1 is not merely a generic retro roadster; its design language points back to the earliest Corvette and to one of the most recognizable American sports-car shapes ever produced.
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However, Kindig-it did not simply reproduce the original body shell. The CF1’s proportions are substantially altered for modern performance, packaging, and comfort. The design incorporates approximately three inches of wedge sectioning, a chopped windshield frame, lengthened doors, a cabin shifted toward the rear, a firewall moved forward, a lowered floor, and reshaped wheel arches.
Those changes give the CF1 a lower, wider, more planted stance than the early Corvette. They also create room for modern suspension geometry, contemporary wheels and tires, a larger powertrain, and a more usable driving position. The result is a design translation rather than a literal replica.
Even the details combine nostalgia with modern technology. MotorTrend reported that the headlamp treatment uses the wire-cage styling associated with the 1953 Corvette, while the lamps themselves use acrylic covers and LEDs. Cast-aluminum components—including the trim, grille, windshield frame, and bumper pieces—provide period-inspired shapes with modern construction methods.
It is not a cosmetic body conversion
The CF1’s most important distinction is beneath the skin. This is not an original C1 Corvette frame wearing a new body and a larger engine. The platform is a modified Roadster Shop Spec 7 chassis adapted specifically for the CF1’s wheelbase, track width, floor pan, body mounts, and wheel tubs.
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The body itself is carbon fiber. MotorTrend reported a body weight of approximately 70 pounds, although the complete vehicle is naturally much heavier once the chassis, engine, glass, interior, suspension, fluids, and equipment are installed. Carbon fiber helps Kindig-it achieve the visual and structural goals of the design without simply adding mass to an old platform.
Modern Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, custom wheels, power steering, and contemporary brake and suspension packaging further separate the CF1 from a restored 1953 car. The exact components can vary by build, but the underlying engineering brief is consistent: preserve the character of the early Corvette while replacing its original limitations.
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Engine, transmission, and performance context
The current CF1 specification page lists a Lingenfelter Eliminator Spec S 650-horsepower 427 LS engine. Its equipment includes LS3 ported heads, LSX springs, Borla eight-stack injection, and a Billet Specialties Tru Trac front drive. A 4L80E four-speed automatic transmission sends the power to the rear wheels.
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Kindig-it reports 554 peak horsepower and 507 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels for its latest CF1 and describes the vehicle as weighing approximately 3,000 pounds. That combination suggests a very serious power-to-weight ratio, but it should not be turned into an unsupported acceleration or top-speed claim. The available material does not provide an independent instrumented test for 0-to-60-mph time, quarter-mile performance, braking distance, cornering, or maximum speed.
Build-to-build differences matter. CF1 Roadster No. 004, for example, is documented with a Lingenfelter Eliminator LS7, LS3 heads, Borla eight-stack injection, Holley Dominator EFI, and a GM Performance Automatic 4L80E. That particular car is identified as producing 650 horsepower.
In other words, 650 horsepower is a useful description of the CF1’s performance class, not a guarantee that every completed car has identical hardware or output. A prospective buyer should request the build sheet for the specific vehicle being commissioned or offered for sale.
Three CF1 body styles
Roadster
The original CF1 body style is the Roadster. It emphasizes the open-air character of the 1953 Corvette and is the clearest expression of the original design idea. The open cockpit also makes the car’s lowered windshield, rearward cabin, and reshaped body proportions especially visible.
Cabriolet
The Cabriolet adds a removable carbon-fiber Carson-style hardtop, power windows, and exterior door handles. It provides a more enclosed and weather-conscious interpretation without abandoning the classic roadster-based shape.
Fastback
The Fastback is the third body style. It adds a sweeping roofline and fully enclosed cockpit, turning the CF1 into a more dramatic grand-touring-style shape while retaining the platform’s carbon-fiber construction and modern chassis.
Kindig-it introduced the Fastback at the 2025 SEMA show as CF1 No. 25, celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary. Kindig-it describes the design as inspired by its award-winning TwelveAir. Hot Rod reported that the production Fastback carries the TwelveAir’s general roofline and enclosed-cockpit concept while using production-oriented differences and a lower-cost approach.
The Fastback is not the TwelveAir
The two cars are easy to confuse because the Fastback takes visual inspiration from the TwelveAir, but they are not the same vehicle.
Kindig-it describes the TwelveAir as a one-off, all-aluminum build inspired by the 1953 Corvette. No original Corvette parts or CF1 production components were used in that project. It uses a bespoke 9.2-liter LS-based V12 producing approximately 650 horsepower.
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The Fastback, by contrast, is part of the CF1 production lineup. It uses the CF1’s established carbon-fiber body, custom chassis, suspension architecture, and LS-based powertrain strategy. The shared design influence is the roofline and enclosed-cockpit idea—not the underlying construction or mechanical specification.
What the cabin adds over a 1953 Corvette
The CF1’s exterior may be historical in inspiration, but its interior is intended to function like a modern custom car. Official materials list power steering, a tilt steering column, a custom steering wheel, concealed Bluetooth audio, adjustable seats designed to accommodate drivers up to 6 feet 4 inches, Dakota Digital gauges, and Vintage Air heating and air conditioning.
Interior trim is individually configured. Build documentation identifies custom seats, leather door panels, custom leather interiors, and model-specific trim. Buyers can specify colors, materials, wheels, and other details rather than selecting from a fixed Chevrolet trim hierarchy.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThat difference is central to the CF1’s appeal. A stock 1953 Corvette offers historical authenticity, but it also carries the ergonomics, weather protection, instrumentation, steering, suspension, and climate-control limitations of an early-1950s sports car. The CF1 attempts to preserve the visual experience while making the car substantially more usable for contemporary driving.
Who actually builds and titles it?
The CF1 comes from Kindig-it Design, not Chevrolet. Kindig-it says it obtained a manufacturer’s license in 2023. Its CF1 materials describe the vehicle as titled as a 1953 Chevrolet Corvette with a 17-digit VIN.
That legal and historical description requires careful wording. A CF1 may carry the identity and title description of a 1953 Corvette, but it is not an unrestored 1953 production car. Its body, proportions, chassis, suspension, powertrain, electrical systems, interior, and comfort equipment are heavily re-engineered by Kindig-it Design.
Registration, insurance, taxation, and equipment requirements can also vary by jurisdiction. Anyone considering a commission should confirm how the specific build will be titled, registered, insured, and serviced in the place where it will be driven.
Production status, price, and auction evidence
Kindig-it unveiled the first two CF1 production cars at the 2021 SEMA show. The company’s current materials present the CF1 as a production-car program with configurable body types, colors, wheels, and interiors, but the public information reviewed here does not state one universal current base price.
That means an online figure should not automatically be treated as factory MSRP. Pricing depends on the body style, engine, interior, wheels, finishes, options, and the terms of the individual commission. Prospective buyers should use Kindig-it Design’s official inquiry process to ask about current pricing, availability, specifications, and delivery.
Public auctions provide useful market signals, but they do not establish a standard value for every CF1. CF1 Roadster No. 004 sold for $605,000 at Barrett-Jackson in 2024. A separate CF1 Roadster reportedly sold for $770,000 at Mecum Kissimmee. Those are results for specific completed cars with specific equipment, presentation, provenance, and auction conditions—not a published list price or guaranteed appraisal.
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Is the CF1 really a supercar?
The answer depends on how the word is being used.
- Performance intent: A 650-horsepower-class LS-based engine, modern independent suspension, large performance tires, and an approximately 3,000-pound target place the CF1 far beyond the performance brief of a stock 1953 Corvette.
- Materials and construction: Carbon-fiber bodywork, a dedicated custom chassis, individually commissioned interiors, and low-volume construction are characteristics commonly associated with expensive modern performance cars.
- Exclusivity: The car is built in limited numbers and has achieved six-figure auction results, which gives it the scarcity and collector appeal often associated with supercars.
- Category: It is still best classified as a coach-built American restomod or custom Corvette reinterpretation. It is not a Chevrolet catalog model, a mass-produced production Corvette, or a factory-developed exotic from a dedicated supercar marque.
So calling the CF1 a modern supercar is defensible only if the description is qualified. “Supercar-grade, coach-built reinterpretation of the 1953 Corvette” communicates its power, materials, scarcity, and intent without pretending that it is a Chevrolet production supercar.
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- Choose the body style. Decide whether the open Roadster, removable-hardtop Cabriolet, or enclosed Fastback best matches the intended use.
- Request the exact powertrain specification. Confirm the engine family, injection system, ECU, transmission, rear-wheel output, cooling system, exhaust, and warranty or service arrangements. CF1 builds are not mechanically identical by definition.
- Clarify the title and VIN process. Ask how the car will be titled and registered in the buyer’s jurisdiction, and confirm that insurance companies are prepared to cover a highly modified, high-value vehicle.
- Define the commissioning specification in writing. Document paint, carbon-fiber finish, wheels, tires, interior materials, gauges, audio, climate control, top configuration, and any requested changes before construction begins.
- Ask about maintenance and parts support. The CF1 combines custom bodywork and trim with components from specialist suppliers. Confirm who supports the chassis, engine management, suspension, electronics, glass, weather sealing, and replacement body panels.
- Separate a completed-car price from an estimate. Auction results are not MSRP, and a quoted commission price may not include every change or finishing request. Ask for the scope, exclusions, taxes, transport, and final-delivery requirements.
Readers who want to pursue ownership should inquire about a CF1 through Kindig-it Design’s official channel. Public materials direct prospects to register interest or ask about pricing and availability rather than displaying a universal current price.
Ways to explore the 1953 design without buying a CF1
The CF1’s historical reference point also makes it appealing to readers who are interested in the original Corvette design rather than in commissioning a six-figure custom car.
A 1953 Corvette model kit offers a hands-on way to study the first-generation roadster’s proportions, grille, fenders, windshield, and open cockpit. It represents the original Corvette, not the CF1, so it should be treated as a historical model-building project rather than a miniature replica of Kindig-it’s car.
For a display-focused option, a 1953 Corvette die-cast model or Polo White Corvette scale model captures the visual reference with no assembly required. Collectors should check the scale, color, manufacturer, and current availability before purchasing.
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Readers who want more context can also look for a Corvette history book or 1953 Corvette reference book covering the Motorama debut, the first production run, and the evolution from the C1 design to later Corvette generations. That background makes the CF1’s design decisions easier to recognize: it is not copying every original detail, but selectively modernizing the shapes that define the earliest Corvette.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Kindig CF1 made by Chevrolet?
No. The CF1 is built by Kindig-it Design. Kindig-it says it obtained a manufacturer’s license in 2023, and its materials describe the car as titled as a 1953 Chevrolet Corvette with a 17-digit VIN. That does not make it a current Chevrolet production model or an unrestored original Corvette.
How much does a Corvette CF1 cost?
Kindig-it’s public CF1 materials reviewed here do not state a single current base price. Individual auction results include $605,000 for CF1 Roadster No. 004 at Barrett-Jackson in 2024 and a reported $770,000 sale for another Roadster at Mecum Kissimmee. Those figures apply to specific completed cars and should not be treated as universal MSRP or appraisal values.
Does every CF1 have 650 horsepower?
The current CF1 specification page lists a 650-horsepower Lingenfelter Eliminator Spec S 427 LS, and individual build documentation also identifies 650-horsepower cars. However, engine, fuel-injection, ECU, wheel, interior, and other specifications can vary by commissioned build. Buyers should request the exact build sheet.
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The CF1 Fastback is a production CF1 body style with a sweeping roofline and enclosed cockpit. It was inspired by Kindig-it’s TwelveAir, but the TwelveAir is a separate one-off, all-aluminum 1953-Corvette-inspired build with a bespoke 9.2-liter LS-based V12. The Fastback uses the CF1’s carbon-fiber body and established chassis architecture.
The Bottom Line
The Kindig CF1 earns the supercar comparison through its carbon-fiber construction, custom engineering, 650-horsepower-class output, low-volume production, and collector-level pricing. But precision matters: it is a Kindig-it Design coach-built reinterpretation of the 1953 Corvette, not a Chevrolet supercar and not an original C1 with a few modern upgrades. Its real appeal is the combination of an instantly recognizable American shape with the chassis, powertrain, comfort, and customization expected from a modern high-end performance car.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
