"Thomassima IIII" project | FerrariChat

"Thomassima IIII" project

Discussion in 'Special Projects & Concept Cars' started by 121Designer, Nov 13, 2014.

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  1. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

    Aug 15, 2013
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    Joshua Lange
  2. Randy Forbes

    Randy Forbes Formula Junior

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    Sports Cars Plus,LLC
    I remember buying that issue of R&T off the stand at Heyden Drugs (7-Mile & Heyden, Detroit, MI). Up until seeing that car on the cover, all I bought were Hot Rod, Popular Hot Rodding and Cars magazines. My attitude about cars was changed 180* in a moment's time. Memory fades, but I'm thinking it was the December 1970 issue, but I've been wrong before.

    Looking forward to reading the whole story!
     
  3. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
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    Sep 18, 2002
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    Very interesting design. Takes some styling cues from both Ferrari and corvette is appears.
     
  4. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

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    Joshua Lange
    Tom was very proud of the Duntov Corvette engine LLoyd "Lucky" Casner sold him for his initial Maserati 350si project. He converted a second 350s Maserati with another Corvette engine paired to a 5-speed upon his return to Italy. Unfortunately, it appears that these cars have had their Meade/Fantuzzi enhancements like a removable fast-back hard top, custom windshields and their Corvette engines removed. Tom was very proud that he created the first fastback removable hard-top for a Ferrari. Gullwing doors were a first for a Ferrari, too. Spagetti exhaust for the main course, anyone?

    Tom and I were making many never seen before design and engineering "enhancements" of our own on the Thomassima IIII.


     
  5. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

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    Joshua Lange
    #5 121Designer, Nov 14, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Tom Meade and I worked on the Thomassima IIII until the night before he went into the VA hospital. I was preparing to cast a batch of leaded crystal logos and tail light lenses, so Tom was smiling.

    This historic rim was very formative in the design of Tom's Thomassima IIII rims. Tom's rims influenced my Lacrima Rossa rim design. I just took this photo and wondered if any of you have seen it or know the story. I read about it a while back, but no pictures were provided. I also just shot and cropped this image of the leaded crystal tail light described on my Thomassima IIII page. FChat community is the first to see these.
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  6. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

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    #6 121Designer, Nov 16, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Good point. Everything has an inspiration. I guess it was just the execution of the headlights that got me. The C-3 had nice curves.

    My Pangea one-off supercar that Tom Meade hired me after having a ride in, is based on a race-prepped C-3 Corvette chassis. The narrow cock-pit, overall size, and big-block power made the c-3 attractive as a base donor for my American/Italian fusion.

    Bill Warner, founder and Chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, visited my shop in Savannah, Georgia to see the Pangea for possible entry into his event. His first words were that the Pangea looked like a sixties era Ferrari. I agreed. His next comment was that GM never got a piece of glass that smooth. Well, that's why Tom hired me to lead the Thomassima IIII build.


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  7. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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    Dec 28, 2005
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    Does this belong in the Vintage Section?
     
  8. JCR

    JCR F1 Veteran
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    H-Town, Tejas

    :rolleyes:
     
  9. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

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    Joshua Lange
    #9 121Designer, Nov 16, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Yes it does. I have received many PMs thanking me for this thread and it is my pleasure to share with fans and old friends of Tom's. The Road & Track article that this thread was started with, "Tom Meade's Ferrari Thomassima was the P 4/5 of it's day", connects the past with the present, keeping Tom's name relevant, by drawing a parallel to the P 4/5. Although this article jumps into the present, any Ferrari history connected to Tom, in my opinion, is best placed in the Vintage category.

    The vintage inspired Pangea was simply the car that bonded Tom and I. What Tom liked was the vintage styling and craftsmanship of the Pangea, which is why I provided photos. 'Visual Homage' has a very popular thread about the Thomassima IIII, that drew in many members, in the Vintage Section. Tom liked telling stories, and he shared many with me as we worked together, regarding Ferrari history. Hence, I started this thread for us to share about Tom and his contributions to Ferrari history and to celebrate the Thomassimas.

    The paper, plaster and steel rim prototype I included in this string was written of, but never seen before. Tom was commissioned by Firestone to design a run of rims. He really wanted to put this design inspiration into a set of Thomassima III rims, but was only able to cast his custom knock-offs. More images to come.

    Attached image is the back of a business card I designed for Tom which shows him talking to Enzo Ferrari in Italian, at the Ferrari test track. They spoke for 45 minutes, something Mr. Ferrari was not known to do, especially with an American. Enzo was intrigued by the trailblazing American Ferrari designer and he praised Tom for his Thomassima designs. The two men went on to become friends until Enzo's passing.






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  10. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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    " in your opinion" given your extensive history of 45 posts, virtually all of them self-serving.
     
  11. VIZSLA

    VIZSLA Four Time F1 World Champ
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    Harsh.
    The man has a passion and memories why the negativity?
     
  12. El Wayne

    El Wayne F1 World Champ
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    Removed the commercial links to OP's website and merged with existing thread honoring Tom Meade and his cars.
     
  13. VisualHomage

    VisualHomage F1 Veteran

    Aug 30, 2006
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    It's funny in that Tom was so compartmentalized in dealing with the people he hired to work on Thomassima IIII that I had no idea Joshua was working with him. As I was acting as Tom's late biographer, I would visit Tom's place quite regularly. But he never let me meet anyone involved on the project. His code of silence within his own inner circle worked too well.

    To wit, Joshua would be on the phone and then I'd show up at Tom's. Tom would then tell Joshua that someone was here (me) and that he had to hang up. And vice versa. For about 2 years Joshua would just be leaving and I would just be arriving but we'd never meet until after Tom's death. Josh and I then had a long lunch and shared stories. It was quite a strange "reunion." :) Joshua is an amazing industrial designer and artist and car builder. I can see why Tom hired him.
     
  14. Ed Niles

    Ed Niles Formula 3
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    Visual, you are so right. I had many dinners with Tom when he lived in his little cubby-hole in W.L.A., and he never mentioned Josh to me. He mostly wanted to talk about the old days (I had bought a few cars from him back in the day, including the original Nembo). All he ever said about the current project was about the "organic" tail light lenses, which he showed me. I had an impression the this project was mostly hype, but what do I know? Since the 333SP engine was recently for sale, I'm guessing that the project is dead? Anyway, he was certainly an interesting character in a world of interesting characters, and he was at the right place at the right time.
     
  15. bitzman

    bitzman F1 Rookie
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    ITALIAN HEART, AMERICAN BLOOD » Ferrari Magazine - For Ferrari cars owners and fans

    There it mentions a son but in all the other stories it never mentions a marriage (I am aware you don't have to be married to make babies,,,) or even a girlfriend, The writer says his son is in the fashion business and "curator of Tom's cars." I was wondering if this son has expressed an interest in print in finishing that final Thomassima?
     
  16. Ed Niles

    Ed Niles Formula 3
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    Gianni is an adopted son; not sure if it is legal in the American sense or if that's a euphemism. I don't think the latest Thomassima will be finished, as the 333SP engine was sold recently.
     
  17. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

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    Ironically, I know the answer to the speculation about Tom's Nembo and so much more, but that is between Gianni and I. I was at Tom's side working Monday through Friday for most of his last four years and was casting leaded crystal pieces on his last day of work. I was by his side playing his last requested song, and I was at his wake. Honestly, I expected Tom's friends to be more interested in his last years building his ultimate supercar. I appreciate the PM support, and some public interest in our work would be great. For the amazing American Ferrari designer Tom Meade's sake. I'm open for questions. In case you just tuned in, I was the project manager and lead builder of the Thomassima IIII. Not self endorsing, but a fact.
     
  18. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

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    #18 121Designer, May 18, 2015
    Last edited: May 18, 2015
    I had lunch with Ed Niles, Larry Crane the other day in honor of Tom and the Thomassima IIII. Ed seemed to have known Tom's mom. It would be great to hear what he thinks about my work for Tom, after our enlightening lunch. Ed? Larry?
     
  19. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

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    #19 121Designer, May 18, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    It was a nice to meet with some people who knew Tom. Larry Crane wrote an article about Tom in 2007, for Auto Aficionado Magazine. Ed knew Tom going back to 1966. Murray helped us (Tom and I) with a key piece of the project.

    It was nice to hear Larry say that "Tom told me about you. He said that he had someone working for him that was finally getting things done." That's why Tom and I got along so well.
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  20. Ed Niles

    Ed Niles Formula 3
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    Nice pic (taken by our friendly waiter) and nice lunch. Josh is very enthusiastic and energetic, and is proceeding with the Thomassima project in honor of Tom Meade. Sadly, Tom's son Gianni sold off the 333SP engine, so other plans will have to be made for power. Like Tom, Josh is a bit secretive about the project (which I certainly understand), so I have no great news to report. Stay tuned; maybe Josh will bless us with a progress report.
     
  21. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

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    Thank you Ed. I know Tom considered you a true friend and recall hearing you guys talk on the speaker phone while I worked. It seemed to make him very happy to talk about the good old days with you.

    It was sad to see our 333SP sold. Gianni, a businessman, saw a profit and took it. He told me had no interest in pursuing Tom's Thomassima IIII after Tom passed, and proved it by destroying the plywood tub buck that Swift Racing Chief Engineer, Chris Norris, designed and Chris' crew built for Tom for 5 figures. He was about to destroy the tub I built... imagine that? When I stopped him and rented a truck to save it. Gianni told me at lunch one of the days we packed Tom's things, "I told Tom to just buy a Zonda and re-body it." Sadly so far from what Tom and I were passionate about...ground up Ferrari powered supercars. Fortunately, I convinced Gianni to give me anything he was throwing away and placed a box where his trash can was. As a Ferrari enthusiast and Tom's best friend and project manager, I found that very telling about his concerns about what Tom and I worked so hard to create. He is busy with the BIG money Meade assets and saw no value in the Thomassima IIII and abandoned it. I never stopped working to preserve the work Tom and I believed in, for the sake of Ferrari history and our enjoyment. I appreciate any supportive comments I get and use them to fuel my work. 7 days a week to preserve a crucial piece of Ferrari history and now I have some new friends including the legend Ed Niles and Larry Crane, who was Tom's last published biographer. Little by little Tom used to tell me each day.


     
  22. BLT2DRIVE

    BLT2DRIVE Karting

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    Thanks for sharing Josh.... Sorry to hear about Gianni's loss of interest.... but hearing his tales of travel and business..business...business..... It turns out to be about assets and money....not the pure passion Tom lived by.....Keep us posted.
     
  23. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

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    #23 121Designer, May 27, 2015
    Last edited: May 27, 2015
    Yes. Business men have their place. So do artists. This thread is about the greatest of Ferrari artists. Tom Meade was an American artist in king Enzo's court!!! and Enzo was his trusted friend. How does Ferrari history get better than that? Enzo and Tom working together to save 0846 and others... Are you kidding? So cool it's beyond words.

    Fortunately, I was perhaps a little smarter than the businessman. I have continued my work and have honored Tom's and my work by pushing forward on my own budget, this time. I work for myself and Tom's good memory. In that light, I have all but completed my tub. Jim Glickenhaus sat in my seat for the Meade continuation car at the Pebble Beach private unveil. He asked me twice if this seat was from the Thomassima 3. Twice I said no. It was my design, which was inspired by my work with Tom. The tub plug is a matter of finish work from completion among many other details in the works. I really appreciate the support. Tom and I were as one. Inseparable and always will be.

    I work seven days a week to preserve a part if Ferrari history I was lucky enough to be a part of. Support of the FChat community is energy for my dedication. Thank you.

     
  24. 121Designer

    121Designer Formula Junior

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    #24 121Designer, May 27, 2015
    Last edited: May 27, 2015
    Pure passion. It's how I met Tom. And the earth shook. May 18th, 2009, I arrived in LA with my Pangea supercar in tow. As I was in my brother's apartment, an earthquake struck. We walked down to fatburger for our favorite turkey burgers. I was stopped dead in my tracks, as we walked by a group of people around the most beautiful rim I had ever seen. It was the T4 rim on a laptop. I find this next part extremely ironic, and yet a part of history in the works. I quickly stated that I had come to LA to promote my 50's Ferrari era inspired supercar... Tom stated, "I'm Tom Meade!" I sadly, although inspired by the GTO and other Ferrari greats, didn't know who he was. I quickly realized my error, as every ear at that table waited on his response to my promotion. Fate. Period.

    I now have that rim in my living room and vow to uphold what Tom and I held sacred. Ferrari history and the passion for creation.
     
  25. Napolis

    Napolis Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Tom was a fierce talent.

    His T3 is an amazing car.

    I'm glad you're carrying on his vision.
     
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