We lost Tom Tjaarda this spring. Tom, a member of the Concorso Italiano Hall of Fame, was revered by attendees, especially so by the owners of DeTomaso Panteras.  He achieved the American car enthusiast’s dream of designing cars in Italy, and I always envied him.  Tom chose the right era, the ‘60s, to go there and am thankful that we American enthusiasts had one of us in Italy, making the Italian designs practical enough to bring to these shores.

This year we will be having a tribute to Tom, and some of the beautifully timeless cars he designed.  The tribute will be led by Tom’s long-time friend, Frank Mandarano.  Frank will probably have a few stories to tell about Tom, and he will help welcome some of the models that are indelible fixtures in Italian automotive history.  Tom will be sorely missed, but we will at least have the opportunity to hear Frank share the stories, and enjoy the cars.