At a Glance:
- The San Antonio Auto & Truck Show will feature the 1967 Thomassima II, built and designed by Tom Meade in the 1960s
- The multi-million dollar car has never been shown at any other auto show
- The show will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on Thursday, November 19, through Sunday, November 22
Pictures of the custom-built car, a defining part of Ferrari’s history, can be viewed here
SAN ANTONIO (November 13, 2015) – The 47th annual San Antonio Auto & Truck Show announced that it will feature the 1967 Thomassima II, built and designed by Tom Meade in the 1960s. Meade is the American designer known for going to Modena, Italy, to pursue his dreams of coach-built automobiles. The multi-million dollar car will be unveiled Thursday during the show’s Media Morning. The Thomassima II will be featured throughout the entirety of the Show, Thursday, November 19 through Sunday, November 22.
Of three in the exclusive series of Thomassimas, only Thomassima II and III exist. Thomassima I was destroyed in a flood, and Thomassima III is on loan at the factory Ferrari Museum in Modena. The Thomassima II, first commissioned in late 1966, paid homage to the Ferrari 330 P4. The Thomassima II’s design was a masterpiece of art, engineering, and scrappy ingenuity. Meade’s previous Thomassima I was a tribute to the Ferrari Testarossa.
Prior to restoration, The Thomassima II had been stored in pieces within a horse barn a mere 50 miles away in Comfort, Texas, by the owner.
“Featuring the Thomassima II at the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said San Antonio Auto Dealers Association President Pam Crail. “This amazing vehicle has never been shown at any other auto show, and we’re honored to have it here in San Antonio.”
This is one of the defining custom-built cars that makes up Ferrari’s rich history. It is included in the Ferrari Bible by Merritt and Fitzgerald, what many believe to be the history of record for all early Ferraris. The body and design of the car was built by Piere Drogo of Drogo Carrozeria Sports Cars, the famous body builder of many of the famous Ferrari and Alfa Romeo race cars. The engine used was a Ferrari 250 inside plug V12, a very rare engine. The chassis is a modified Cooper Climax F1 chassis from 1957. Following a true to the original 7-year restoration the car was showcased as the centerpiece for the Ultra-Exclusive 2015 Concorso Italiano.
The car was commissioned to be built by the original owner in Northern California in 1966. The car was finished by Tom Meade in 1968 and brought over from Italy. Soon after its arrival, it was shown at the 1968 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It was titled in California as a 1967 Ferrari 250 P4, paying homage to its rich Ferrari history as well as the P4 race car inspiration. This elusive piece of automotive history was then considered lost since 1971 as it was not seen in public until this year. It was bought by the current owner in 1983 and stored for some time after that. The car was built and designed very closely with Ferrari and Maserati engineers and mechanics as Meade had worked for the Maserati race car division at one point.
The Thomassima II will be on display throughout the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show in the Aftermarket Expo.
For media credentials email Tanya Sammis at tanya@sammisochoa.com or call 210.390.4284.
For show information and tickets, visit www.saautoshow.staging.wpengine.com.
About the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show
Presented by the San Antonio Automobile Dealers Association, the 47th annual San Antonio Auto & Truck Show will take place on November 19-22, 2015 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Recognized as South Texas’ premier automotive event, the show highlights the auto industry’s newest innovations and provides visitors a ‘one-stop shop’ for evaluating the latest cars, trucks, and technologies. Visit www.saautoshow.staging.wpengine.com for information and to purchase tickets.
