The 1st Thomassima in between a dream and its tragic fate

After some time ago we discussed the rarest Ferrari's car series ever known instead not built by the Maranello-based manufacturer but by design of a young American automotive designer named Tom Meade, the 1967 Thomassima II and 1969 Thomassima III.

It could be an image of 'Thomassima I' that made by Tom Meade in 1962 based on Ferrari 250 GT. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/37rvXIk)

The car mentioned above is one of 3 cars built based on the design of an American automotive designer named Tom Meade. Who is Tom Meade? He is the American automotive designer who was delivered into the Hollywood vortex of creativity and chaos on January 19, 1939. 

He is known for going to Modena, Italy, to pursue his dreams of coach-built automobiles. Therefore, the cars made based on the design of that American designer came to be known as Thomassima (means “the maximum from Thomas”) and become one of the rarest cars in the world. And what about the first car built by Tom Meade?

Tom Meade (left) shakes hands with Enzo Ferrari (right) at the Modena Autodrome. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/3bSTHbQ)

As quoted from the Meade of Modena site, the Thomassima I was Tom Meade's first complete car built-in 1962. It was based on the Ferrari 250 GT but illustrated a very dramatic personal Thomassima form so then made him invited to display his car creation at a classic car show held in Florence in 1966. 

It could be an image of 'Thomassima I' that made by Tom Meade in 1962 based on Ferrari 250 GT. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2SPZ1nx)

Power was delivered by an early inboard-plug Ferrari 250 GT engine capable of 240 horsepower; enough for a car weighing just under 2,000 lbs. Adaptor components attached it to a 4-speed ZF commercial vehicle front-wheel-drive unit that was inverted for its mid-engine use.  

Here's what remains of 'Thomassima I,' after being swept away by a great flood of Arno River in Florence in 1966 until it unrepairable anymore. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2SP4UBx)

Once again fortune failed to smile on those young American designer’s elegant forms. It was a dream coming true, but in a wet season, the Arno river over-spilled its banks flooding the facility where Thomassima I was awaiting its public debut. 

As a result, the car becomes severe damaged and could not be repaired at all. Since then the Thomassima I's figure disappeared forever. Beside that, there was only a little information plus a lack of representative images as well related to the first car of Meade made. That's such a tragic loss of an automotive masterpiece ever. What do you think? *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | THOMASSIMA | CARADISIAC.COM | CHAD GLASS]

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