Ah yes: what a character:-)!
Tom continues to develop the the project. He pays attention to just about every detail imaginable; even those the exotic builders delegate to vendors.
Found this one on autotitre.com. A "GTO 64" with Ogle coachwork, Tom Meade design and 6 cyl. Ferrari Dino engine. http://www.autotitre.com/forum/Rarete-only-le-retour-38539p260.htm Have never seen it before and find nothing valuable about it on the internet. Would be thankful for any information! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Nice post but nothing to do with Tom this is "Charlotte" see my article in Cavallino issue 112. Too long a story to tell, suffice to say the car had four very distinct chapters in its life: one of my favorite stories: visiting Neil Corner in Yorkshire 10 years ago for this was one of my best ever days as a scribe Best regards, Marc
By the way what you quote here is complete and utter nonsense: beware of the internet often not a reliable source. That body was made in New Zealand. Best regards, Marc
As you may noticed I'm a rookie and not as smart as you! That's why I've posted here. On Tom Meade related websites there actually IS a reference to a so called "GTO 64", any infos about this car?
Tom owned a GTO64, which inspired his Nembo design. However, I don't think he ever converted one to his design. By the way, the look of the side windows on the 'Charlotte' tells me it isn't a Meade design.
I be not smart beeecause if me smart was me not be writing for car mags, me would be earning REAL money doing something else You are far more curious and perceptive than most! Krasnavian as usual answered wisely.
Thanks for the compliments, even if I really don't know if they're really meant like this.... IMO there is hardly any causality between being smart and being rich, but never mind...
Right in the beginning there was mention of the windshield being an Alfa Romeo rear window. Didn't search the web for pics, but somehow the form looks a lot like the 33 Stradale windshield as well. Did Alfa use a rear window for those, am I seeing things, or what rear window exactly would have been used there?
The windshield came from the rear window of a Alfa Giulia SS. That of the Stradale is not the same: Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
That will make for an incredibly narrow cabin! Is there any news on his 'last creation'? I remember well seeing the first pic of the Thomassima III in a French car-yearbook (L'Automobile), where, iirc, it read that Meade was making cars to order for some 250.000 USD or some such sum at the time. I'll try and dig it out. Great that the man is still around and kicking.
Well well well....any update on the restoration of mad Tom's Thomassima II? I am sure many of us are more than a little curious and eager for fresh photos as well? Thanks in advance! Best regards, Marc
Tom IS still kicking and as a consequence, he is currently recovering from a broken leg. He is soldiering through a regime of physical therapy but in very good shape otherwise. There are no updates on the restoration that I am aware of.
Merci for the update: will be in touch re. what we discussed this month. Best wishes to Tom hope the weld on his leg holds! Best regards, Marc
This photo fell out of an envelope that was in a box buried in a corner. It was taken in 1976 by me of my father as we were walking along a street in Milano with our friend--Tom Meade--whose back you see as he leads the way. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Probably, but certainly not this year, as some of us had hoped, Richard. Here's a link to the restorer's web photo gallery (progress photos to end 2007 only, at this time): http://web.mac.com/trm1139/250P4/Welcome_250-P4.html The reason I hadn't posted that link previously is that I'd been waiting for the restorers to get it updated, with more current photos. There has been some further work done on the car's restoration, this year, mostly mechanical stuff - it was a rolling chassis at one stage, recently - but nowhere near as much as it could possibly have progressed - due to: 'skilled labor shortages' / brake parts, etc. needing sourcing / fabricating - and various other projects taking precedence over it. I spoke with the restorers by phone last week, and was told that they will be updating the gallery in the next couple of weeks.
There may not be much in the way of 'news' about the full-size cars ongoing restoration, currently . But for fans of the Thomassima II, there is another interesting 'little' snippet. I recently discovered that French master modeller, Ilario Chiera is about to release a 1:43 model of the Thomassima II. I first found this reference to it in the scale models section of a French motoring forum in September. See: http://www.autotitre.com/forum/Post-dedie-exclusivement-aux-m-43047p93.htm (and scroll down the page). Note that several of (if not all) the photos in that post have been 'lifted' from this thread. See Ilarios website: http://www.ilario.com and specifically: http://pagesperso-orange.fr/ilario/c004.html (in progress). To the best of my knowledge, this is the first model of this car ever produced (in any scale). I wrote to Ilario, congratulating him on his unusual choice of prototype. I asked him where he'd obtained photos and reference material to enable him to build his model. It turns out that most of it came from this thread, too. His beautiful hand-built 1:43 Thomassima II models are scheduled for release at the end of November 2008. It's a pity, in a way, that the 1:43 model's release hasn't coincided with the completion of the 1:1 cars restoration.
Strange coincidence... I friend send me those photos two days ago. I think this is the first completed Ilario model. Very nice to see a scale model of that beautifull Thomassima. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Strange coincidence, indeed, Francis .... Particularly as you chose these words to caption a photo of Tom stood beside the Thomassima II in your post #90: Though this handbuilt 1:43 model is hardly a 'toy' car.
