Tom Tjaarda (born Stevens Thompson Tjaarda van Starkenburg; July 23, 1934 – June 2, 2017) was an American automobile designer noted for his work on a broad range of automobiles — estimated at over eighty — from exotic sports cars including the

Ferrari 365 California Ferrari America is a series of top-end Ferrari models built in the 1950s and 1960s. They were large grand touring cars with the largest V12 engines and often had custom bodywork. All America models used a live axle in the rear, were front-engi ...

De Tomaso Pantera The De Tomaso Pantera is a mid-engine sports car produced by Italian automobile manufacturer De Tomaso from 1971 to 1992. Italian for "Panther", the Pantera was the automaker's most popular model, with over 7,000 manufactured over its twenty-year ...

and Aston Martin Lagonda Coupé to high-volume popular cars including the first generation

Ford Fiesta The Ford Fiesta is a supermini car marketed by Ford since 1976 over seven generations. Over the years, the Fiesta has mainly been developed and manufactured by Ford's European operations, and has been positioned below the Escort (later the ...

(1972) and the

Fiat 124 Spider The Fiat 124 Sport Spider is a convertible sports car marketed by Fiat for model years 1966–1985. Designed by and manufactured at the Italian '' carrozzeria'' Pininfarina factory, the monocoque, front-engine, rear drive ''Sport Spider'' deb ...

(1966). For his work, Tjaarda was honored at the 1997

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is an automotive charitable event held each year on the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. It is widely considered the pinnacle event of its kind and one of the most prestigious car events in ...

as well as the 1997 Concorso Italiano.

Jalopnik G/O Media Inc. is an American media holding company that runs ''Gizmodo'', ''Kotaku'', ''Jalopnik'', '' Deadspin'', ''Lifehacker'', '' Jezebel'', '' The Root'', '' The A.V. Club'', ''The Takeout'', '' The Onion'', and ''The Inventory''. Hist ...

called Tjaarda "one of the defining automotive designers of the 20th century." Noted automotive designer and journalist

Robert Cumberford Robert Wayne Cumberford (born August 4, 1935) is a former automotive designer for General Motors, author and design critic – widely known as Automotive Design Editor and outspoken columnist for ''Automobile'' magazine. Examples of ...

called Tjaarda "one of the world’s most accomplished Italian car designers."

Car Design News ''Car Design News'' (''CDN'') () is an online news and information service for the international automotive design community. ''CDN'' covers production and concept cars, the career moves of significant car designers, major international auto sho ...

called him "one of the great unsung heroes of the car design world."

Background

Born in Detroit, Tjaarda was the son of Irene Tjaarda and Dutch auto designer

John Tjaarda Johan "Jan" Tjaarda (1897–1962), later known as John Tjaarda van Sterkenburg, was a Dutch product and automotive designer and stylist in the United States. Tjaarda was born in 1897 in Arnhem, as the son of Henriette Elisabeth Thieme and the p ...

(born Joop Tjaarda van Starkenburg, 1897–1962), designer of the 1935

Lincoln Zephyr Lincoln Zephyr is a name used by various different Lincoln vehicles. * Lincoln-Zephyr, a 1936–1942 line of mid-size luxury cars * Lincoln MKZ, a 2005–2020 mid-size sedan, sold as the Zephyr from 2005 to 2006 * Lincoln Zephyr (China), a 2022 ...

. Tjaarda's parents divorced in 1939 and he lived with his mother in Detroit. Tjaarda studied high school in Birmingham High School,

Birmingham, Michigan Birmingham is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit located along the Woodward Corridor ( M-1). As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103. History The area comprising what is now the c ...

(1953 renamed to

Seaholm High School Ernest W. Seaholm High School (simply referred to as Seaholm High School) is a public high school in Birmingham, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1951 and is part of the Birmingham Public Schools district. History Seaholm opened ...

Career

Tjaarda studied Architecture at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

and presented an automobile (a sport station wagon) rather than building design for his senior thesis — winning an internship at Carrozzeria Ghia, the renowned Italian design house. In 1958, he moved to

Turin, Italy Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...

, where his career began and where he continued to live and work. Tjaarda started his career at Ghia with the Innocenti 950. By 1961 had moved to

Pininfarina Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...

, where he went on to work on designs that included the Chevrolet Corvette Rondine, the Ferrari 330GT 2+2, the

, and the

. He later returned to Ghia, where he designed the Isuzu Bellett MX1600 concept, the

, and the

De Tomaso Longchamp The De Tomaso Longchamp is a grand tourer which was produced by the Italian automaker De Tomaso from 1972 to 1989. History The Longchamp was derived from the De Tomaso Deauville four-door saloon, using a shorter wheelbase chassis with the same ...

. In 1981, Tom was appointed as Director of Fiat Advanced Studios. In 1984, he started his own independent design firm, Dimensione Design.

Design portfolio

1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 - red - fvr (4643560395)

* 1959. Ghia Selene I * 1960. Innocenti 950 S Ghia Spider * 1960. (Innocenti) Ghia IXG Dragster * 1960.

Renault Dauphine The Renault Dauphine () is a rear-engine design, rear-engined economy car manufactured by Renault in a single body style – a Three-box styling, three-box, 4-door sedan (car), sedan – as the successor to the Renault 4CV; more than two ...

Ghia Coupé * 1960. VW Karmann Ghia 1500 (type 34) Coupé (rear design; main body design by Sergio Sartorelli) * 1961. Ferbedo Automobilina pedal car (Ghia) * 1961. Ghia Cart * 1961. Innocenti 1100 Ghia Coupé * 1962.

Chevrolet Corvair The Chevrolet Corvair is a compact car manufactured by Chevrolet for model years 1960–1969 in two generations. A response to the Volkswagen Beetle, it remains the only American-designed, mass-produced passenger car with a rear-mounted, air- ...

Pininfarina Coupé (I) * 1963. Chevrolet Corvette Rondine Pininfarina Coupé (I) * 1963.

Fiat 2300 The Fiat 2300 is a six-cylinder executive car which was produced by Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat between 1961 and 1969. The 2300 was made as saloon (styled by Dante Giacosa), estate car and coupé. The 2300 saloon is noteworthy as in 1 ...

Pininfarina * 1963.

Lancia Flaminia The Lancia Flaminia (Tipo 813/823/824/826) is a luxury car produced by Italian automaker Lancia from 1957 until 1970. It was Lancia's flagship model at that time, replacing the Aurelia. It was available throughout its lifetime as saloon, coupé an ...

2.8 Pininfarina Coupé Speciale * 1964. Chevrolet Corvette Rondine Pininfarina Coupé (II) * 1964.

Ferrari 330 The Ferrari 330 was a series of V12 powered automobiles produced by Ferrari in 2+2 GT Coupé, two-seat Berlinetta, spyder, and race car versions between 1963 and 1968. The name "330" refers to the approximate displacement of each single cylinder ...

GT 2+2 Pininfarina series 1 * 1964. Mercedes 230 SL Pininfarina Coupé * 1965.

Fiat 124 Sport Spider The Fiat 124 Sport Spider is a convertible sports car marketed by Fiat for model years 1966–1985. Designed by and manufactured at the Italian ''carrozzeria'' Pininfarina factory, the monocoque, front-engine, rear drive ''Sport Spider'' debu ...

Pininfarina * 1966.

* 1968. Ghia Centurion (with Giorgetto Giugiaro and Rowan Industries) * 1968. Serenissima Coupé (Ghia) * 1969. De Tomaso Mustela (I) (Ghia) * 1969. Isuzu Bellett MX1600 GT (Ghia) * 1969. Lancia Flaminia Marica (Ghia) * 1969.

Lancia Fulvia The Lancia Fulvia (Tipo 818) is an automobile produced by Lancia between 1963 and 1976. Named after Via Fulvia, the Roman road leading from Tortona to Turin, it was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 and manufactured in three variants ...

1600 HF Competizione (Ghia) * 1970.

De Tomaso Deauville The De Tomaso Deauville is a luxury four-door saloon first exhibited at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. The Deauville was powered by the same 351 in³ (5,763 cc) ''Ford Cleveland'' V8 as the De Tomaso Pantera, rated at . The car has a top s ...

(Ghia) * 1970.

Ghia * 1970. Sinthesis 2000 Berlinetta * 1970. Williams De Tomaso-Ford (Cosworth) 505/38 (De Tomaso Formula 1) * 1971. All-Cars AutoZodiaco Damaca * 1971. De Tomaso 1600 (Ghia) Spider * 1971. De Tomaso Zonda (Ghia) * 1971. Isuzu Bellett SportsWagon (Ghia) * 1972.

* 1972.

(Ghia, Project "Wolf") * 1973.

7X (Montella, Ghia) * 1973. Ford Mustela (II) (Ghia) * 1974. Ford Ghia Coins * 1974.

Ford Maverick Ford has marketed the following automobiles models using the Ford Maverick nameplate: * The Ford Maverick (1970–1977), a compact car sold in North America and Brazil during the 1970s * The rebadged Nissan Patrol Y60 sold by Ford Australia under ...

* 1979. Fiat Brazil * 1979.

Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...

II Proposals (Ghia) (different variants) * 1979. Zastava (facelifts of older Fiat-based models for Yugoslavia) * 1980.

Cabrio * 1981.

SEAT Ronda The SEAT Ronda (codenamed ''022A'') was a small family car produced by the Spanish automaker SEAT from 1982 to 1986, and styled by Rayton Fissore in collaboration with the Technical Centre in Martorell. The Ronda was also briefly sold in the Unit ...

* 1981. SEAT Guappa Coupé * 1982.

Chrysler LeBaron The Chrysler LeBaron, also known as the Imperial LeBaron, is a line of automobiles built by Chrysler from 1931-1941 and from 1955-1995. The model was introduced in 1931, with a body manufactured by LeBaron Incorporated, LeBaron, and competed wit ...

* 1982.

Chrysler Imperial The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was Chrysler's top-of-the-line vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, after which it became a standalone brand; and again from 1990 to 1993. The compan ...

* 1983. Rayton-Fissore Taxi Torino * 1985.

Autobianchi Autobianchi () was an Italian automobile manufacturer, created jointly by Bianchi, Pirelli and Fiat in 1955. Autobianchi produced only a handful of models during its lifetime, which were almost exclusively small cars, with the biggest being the sho ...

Lancia Y10 Lancia () is an Italian car manufacturer and a subsidiary of FCA Italy S.p.A., which is currently a Stellantis division. The present legal entity of Lancia was formed in January 2007 when its corporate parent reorganised its businesses, but it ...

* 1985. Chrysler Jeep (Interior) * 1985.

Rayton-Fissore Magnum The Rayton-Fissore Magnum is an Italian-designed and built luxury off-roader, in small scale production between 1985 and 1998. The American V8-powered versions were marketed as Laforza and were built from 1989 until 2003. The Magnum began life ...

4x4 * 1989. Aston Martin Lagonda Coupé * 1988. PPG 4x4 (USA) * 1989.

Laforza The Rayton-Fissore Magnum is an Italian-designed and built luxury off-roader, in small scale production between 1985 and 1998. The American V8-powered versions were marketed as Laforza and were built from 1989 until 2003. The Magnum began life ...

Magnum 4x4 * 1989. Zastava Utility vehicle * 1991. Bitter Tasco * 1992.

Saab 900 The Saab 900 is a mid-sized automobile which was produced by Saab from 1978 until 1998 in two generations; the first from 1978 to 1993, and the second from 1994 to 1998. The first-generation car was based on the Saab 99 chassis, though with a ...

four door * 1992. Suzuki Coupé (for Bugatti) * 1993. Fiat Iveco Truck Interior * 1995.

Lamborghini Diablo The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engine sports car built by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It is the first production Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of . After the end ...

(Interior) * 1998. Isotta-Fraschini T8 Coupé * 1998. Isotta-Fraschini T12 Coupé * 2000. Qvale Mangusta (II) * 2001.

PSV (II) (production engineering only) * 2002. Spyker GT Sport * 2003.

Fiat Barchetta The Fiat Barchetta (; Type 183) is a roadster produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat from 1995 to 2006. ''Barchetta'' in Italian means "little boat", and also denotes a type of open-top sports car body style. History The Barchetta was de ...

(Facelift) * 2006. Shelby Series 2 * 2007. Tjaarda Mustang

References

External links

www.tom-tjaarda.net
* https://web.archive.org/web/20101230104914/http://www.conceptcars.it/stilisti/tjaarda.htm * http://www.coachbuilt.com/des/t/tjaarda/tjaarda_tom.htm * Tjaarda Mustang - https://web.archive.org/web/20120426081840/http://www.hstintl.com/index.php?menu=1 * http://www.fiat124spider.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Tjaarda, Tom 1934 births 2017 deaths People from Detroit American automobile designers Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning alumni American people of Dutch descent