MCACN LLC MEMBER PROFILE: Stefano Bimbi

Stefano Bimbi was born September 7th 1963, in the small Italian Village of Frassinoro,

(This means Golden Fern). This is the Northern Italian Province of Modena located in

the Emilia Romagna Region, of Northern Italy.

His Grandfather, Dario Bimbi owned and operated the Local Bimbi Gas/Service Station.

They worked on scooters, motorcycles, Cars, trucks, heavy equipment. They even made

their own Bimbi branded bicycles. Stefano's Father, Domenico worked with Dario and

became a self-taught mechanic. In 1965 Domenico legally immigrated to the USA and

worked as a mechanic at his Uncle's Car Dealerships. (Fiat, Alfa, Lancia and VW) in Chicago. Not long after arriving, Domenico had saved enough money in order to bring the rest of the family to the USA.

Within a few years Domenico had started his own auto repair business called Bimbi's

Foreign Cars, located in North Chicago, Illinois.

Stefano attended Saint James Grade School in Highwood, Illinois and graduated from

Deerfield High School, where he played sports yet also focused and took advantage of

shop and engine repair related classes. This included two years of auto mechanics classes at the Lake County Vocational Center, in Grays Lake Illinois.

Stefano Bimbi- Nickey Performance

Stefano worked summers and school vacations as well as some weekends at his Dad's

shop and was able to work at the shop on a high school work program for credit.  Upon

graduation in 1981, he went to work for his father and they changed the name of the

business to Bimbi's Car Craft. This encompass all types of vehicles. He eventually decided to go to

college and left his father’s business. He applied to Western Illinois University and spent

4 years obtaining a Bachelor of Business Degree in Finance. He spent time working in

the field of finance and founded several companies over the years but always

maintained a business which focused on his passion working on as well as buying and

selling Muscle Cars, under the Bimbi's Car Craft dealer license and business. He was

recruited by Auto Nation, then a fortune 100 company, to be the Midwest Regional

Director of Finance and Insurance, but still kept the Muscle Car business going.

In 2002 he was on the list to purchase one of the 69 GMMG ZL1 Camaros. He ordered a

Stage III 427 with most of the options which was one of only approx 37 produced with the C5R

427ci engine as well as one of a handful of loaded up cars. In the Fall of 2002 the completed car was

delivered to be displayed at the Chevy Vette Fest show in Chicago. The car was built to

a NicKey Chevrolet motif and was well received by patrons at the show. It was at this

show that Stefano learned who owned the Trademark Rights to NicKey and decided to

pursue them.  He resigned his corporate position and founded NicKey Chicago which

builds NicKey branded Cars.

NicKey Chicago became the Title Sponsor of the Chevy Vette Fest show. The

founders eventually sold the show to Championship Auto Shows, Inc.

Stefano established a friendship with Vettefest Show Manager, Bob Ashton. Bob & Stefano

shared many similar philosophies regarding what the show needed to be better.

Unfortunately, the show did not survive and that is when Stefano assembled a round

table membership of diverse enthusiasts and collectors and founded MCACN with Bob

Ashton, as the Managing Partner.

Over the years Stefano has participated in a variety of drag racing events, 1/2-mile

speed events, road course racing and more. As a club level motorcycle, amateur and expert he

won the Race of Champions at Daytona International as well as multiple regional

Championships.

His immediate family is his wife Beth and three adult children, who have helped at

MCACN over the years, Stephanie, Dario and Olivia.

Beth and Stefano Bimbi