This article appeared on Hagerty's forums today, I thought some might enjoy reading it.
Original Post
Thanks for posting. Like many of us I had the honor to met Tom on numerous occasions. I really don’t know how many times I interacted with him, which I think is an amazing thing. How many exotic car owners have personally interacted with the designer of their car even once, much less so many times that the exact number becomes cloudy?
I do remember:
Talking with him on Ocean Drive in Carmel during the exhibit of the Pebble Beach tour cars.
Interacting with him at least two and perhaps three times at Concorso; 2511 has his signature on the dash and inside the rear deck
Spending an intimate evening at a private home during Monterey car week with a group of about 50 at an event hosted by Jeff Cobb.
Chauffering him in my F-150 for hours during the Texas Fun Rally.
I do know my final time with Tom was during the Monterey car week in 2016. With a group of 20 for dinner in the Carmel Village, the PCNC dinner and Saturday at the Concorso.
But my fondest memory is taking him to Pebble Beach on Sunday. Having just finished chemo therapy in Italy and being his normal social butterfly all week long he was quite tired so he didn’t accompany my friend Gary and I walking the lawn but spent the day with his old friends and fellow judges.
At the close of Pebble Beach the three of us headed down the Monterey Pier and sat down to an hours-long dinner of fish and chips.
At his motel in Seaside I helped him up the steps to his second story room and made sure he was safely inside. As I walked away I wondered if I would be lucky enough to see him yet again one more time.
Larry