Looking for info and photos about Tom Meade's creations: the Thomassimas. The Californian hand built a handfull of cars at Modena in the 60s.
I have a magazine article with pictures of Tom Meade next to some of his creations : Thomassima I, Thomassima II, some 250GTs with modified headlamps. Will post it asap.
Thanks sicqnus. I have always been intrigued by these cars, I don't know why, but in fact I know very little about them.
Tom Meade article (France - 2000) with an interview of Thomas Meade made in 2000. Title : "An american in Modena". Pictures are from Dick Merrit and Tom Meade's archives. He arrived in Modena at the end of 1960 as a young american guy with a true passion for Italian cars and design. Arrived too late the first day to visit the Ferrari factory, he was sent to the Maserati factory where he had the opportunity to make a "little find". He noticed an old racing car under a cover and asked if he could buy the car. It was a 350S, chassis number #03503. He finally bought the car for a mere $420. Later he bought several racing and stradale Maseratis and Ferraris including Lussos, Californias, 275P, 330P, etc... He made a few original bodies with the help of some of his friends who were workers at the carrozzeria Fantuzzi. And later he created his own cars, the Thomassimas. Links below. Sorry, too lazy to translate all. Enjoy. http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/175/015ub.jpg http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/8441/024lw.jpg http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/2166/039di.jpg http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/3092/041cc.jpg http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/8864/059ra.jpg http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/8964/065qt.jpg http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/8255/077jv.jpg http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/7247/087nd.jpg
if you look closely at the windscreen of the "p4" inspired car you may notice it's really a rear window from an early alfa giulietta sprint....
To sicqnus, BigAl & Olczyk, many Thanks. I shall save these photos and translate the French article, and know a bit more about these strange creatures. Thanks again.
Olczyk, Any hi-res versions of those photos? Also, does anyone know the whereabouts of the cars now? The "T3" is very intriguing.
Rather than keep taking 'The Thomassima II of Tom Meade' thread off-topic, I thought it better to give this other thread a 'bump'. Over the last week or two, I've been in contact with Jean-Joseph Quelennec, a french Thomassima enthusiast who, until recently, used to post on the french motoring forum www.autotitre.com as 'CROTALE'. He has kindly provided me with several scans of period magazine articles - some of which I hadn't seen before. Here's another interesting one that he came up with. It's a one page-article from AutoSport, 9th July 1970. The full-sized scan, courtesey of Jean-Joseph, can be found here: http://up.autotitre.com/forum/up/f0b4ddda9f.jpg There are a couple of interesting quotes in the text: Is there a 250GTO s/n still unaccounted for ? I wasn't aware there was. and .... Comments anybody ? Image Unavailable, Please Login
The article I published in Auto Passion is the same except translated into French, that I published earlier in Sports Car International which was then used by that website autochannel thought they did not give me credit. When I called them years ago to complain some rude idiot just became offensive. The internet really is the wild west... Marc Sonnery
When talking to Tom a couple of weeks ago, he mentioned that the Thomassima III has a competition 250 engine. Although he didn't specify, I assumed the car to be based on a SWB. I'll ask him when I see him next week. I can say that it is not based on a GTO chassis.
Where is his current project? He was working on his ultimate final project when I spoke to him a bit over a year ago. His story should become a book, quite interesting.
Ron: I love Tom to death interviewing him for those articles in 1996 was one of the most enjoyable articles I ever did, he had not been interviewed in 20 years at the time but I just doubt that he will do another car: he is getting on in years and has been talking about his great projects for years... Marc
I just hope Tom will make an effort to get the Thomassima III rolling again. Last time I spoke to him by phone, he told me that the engine was out, and he needed to have all the headers and side-pipes re-chromed. With the restoration of the Thomassima II progressing nicely, it would be great to see the two of them, and Tom Meade re-united. I've already tentatively discussed this with Doug Nye, who is on the selection committee for the Goodwood Festival - and basically they have an open invitation - he'd love to see them there.
He spoke to me of a current project with specially designed wheels, tail lights created to his design by a glassblower and a very special Ferrari engine. I don't know how long the project has been in the works, but I'll have a better idea next week. Marc is right. As with every artist, the ideas far outnumber the creations. What Tom has always lacked, in my view, is someone to handle the pragmatic, financial arrangements that would have allowed him to become a well-funded design house.
Well I just went through my Tom Meade file here for the first time in years and there are some interesting items, sice I don't have scanner I will photograph them. download them and upload them, by which time they will be of horrible quality but it is better than nothing!
I realized it was over two years ago I spoke to Tom at length, and what you just mentioned was the status at that time. He was in California I believe dealing with his mother. Had the wheels and the taillights done there, I think. So this project has been going on for some time. Probably financial, these one offs are no longer cheap.
I know him personally. He is here in his mom's house in Los Angeles near UCLA . He is working on some old Ferrari's in his back yard!! He just has the frames though.
Yes. See this other thread, specific to the Thomassima II, in this same forum section: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16451&page=5 .... hopefully updates will follow, in the very near future.
