Legendary Automotive Designer Tom Tjaarda Passes Away
Cyrus Dhabhar
1 min read
Jun 03, 2017, 01:50 AM
Key Highlights
- Tom Tjaarda worked with design houses like Pininfarina
- Credited with some of the most iconic sportscars designs on the 60s
- Tom Tjaarda also penned the first generation Ford Fiesta hatchback
Legendary automotive and industrial designer Tom Tjaarda has passed away. Tom was 82 years old and despite fighting an illness, was as enthusiastic as ever and planned to resume work soon when he succumbed due to medical complications. He is survived by his wife. The legendary designer is known most for his elegant and yet iconic sports cars from the 60s and 70s. The most famous of the lot is the DeTomaso Pantera and the Fiat 124 Spyder. The Fiat 124 Spyder of course has recently been reincarnated as a new model recently and even gets an Abarth version.
I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the chance to meet him once and even spend a few days in Mumbai with him talking about the projects he worked on and his deep insights into design. His delight in speaking about the thought process behind the likes of the DeTomaso Pantera and the wedge era were truly fascinating. I remember presenting Tom with a scaled down version of the Pantera and his shock when he opened the engine compartment and finding no engine inside it as I had removed it just recently to add some more detail into. I also remember him going on to tell me how he loved the design on the likes of the F40 pointing towards the model that was on display nearby.
The design on the original Ford Fiesta is also credited to Tom. Coincidentally, when I drove him from the Taj Palace Hotel in South Mumbai to the Liberty Cinema it was in the latest generation of the Ford Fiesta sedan that had just recently been launched in India in late 2014. His opinions on the design language both on the exterior and the interior of the car along with his general opinion about how modern mass-market cars are evolving were very insightful.
As I mentioned earlier, the most famous Ton Tjaarda design is the Fiat 124 Spyder. While in India, he had the chance to see one of the nicest Fiat 124 Turbo Spyders in the country, owned by the late Fali Dhondy. Fali Uncle as he was fondly known, had taken off the flap cover on his glove box to get it autographed by Tom. In the conversation that ensued, I remember asking him if Fiat should make a new version of the 124 Spyder. I remember him laughing it off. Fiat of course did make a new version and perhaps Tom already knew what was in the works then.
Tom Tjaarda also designed a long list of concept cars for various American and European automakers along with making his mark in industrial design. Tom’s more famous projects include the like of the interior on the Lamborghini Diablo and the Ferrari 365 GT4 Spyder – one of the prettiest cars ever made. He will truly be missed by the automotive world and will go down in history as one of the greatest auto designers that graced the earth.
Tom Tjaarda Passes Away (image: automobilemag)
DeTomaso Pantera Model Car Autographed By Tom Tjaarda
Fiat 124 Spyder In Mumbai (source: Anirudh Kasliwal)
Lamborghini Diablo Interior designed by Tom Tjaarda
Latest Cars
Upcoming Cars
Latest News
car&bike Team | Jan 4, 2026Auto Sales December 2025: Mahindra Edges Out Tata To No. 2, Hyundai Drops To Fourth In Domestic SalesMaruti Suzuki remained firmly in the lead with domestic sales north of 1.7 lakh units - a 37 per cent sales growth year-on-year.1 min read
Jaiveer Mehra | Jan 4, 2026Tata Punch Facelift To Get Turbo-Petrol Engine OptionNew teaser confirms big change in powertrain line-up for the Punch micro SUV.4 mins read
Jaiveer Mehra | Jan 4, 2026Mahindra XUV 7XO India Launch Tomorrow: Here’s What We Know So FarThe facelift to the popular XUV 700, the 7XO will arrive with notable design and tech updates, though engine options are expected to stay unchanged.1 min read
car&bike Team | Jan 3, 2026New Bajaj Chetak Spotted Ahead Of LaunchFresh images of the new Chetak continue to showcase a hub-mounted electric motor among other changes.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Jan 3, 2026Tata Punch Facelift Teased Ahead Of Launch On January 13The teaser images focus solely on the exterior, marking the first substantial update for the Punch since it was introduced in 2021.2 mins read
Jafar Rizvi | Jan 3, 20262026 Kia Seltos: Variants, Features, Prices ExplainedThe new Seltos is offered in 10 variants and three engine options. Here is a rundown of what each variant has to offer, along with its price, engine and transmission choices, respectively.5 mins read
Amaan Ahmed | Jan 3, 2026VLF Mobster 135 300 KM Review: Fun But FlawedA 125 cc scooter with Italian design and Chinese genes is a rare combination, and while some may be tempted to dismiss it because of its origins, the VLF Mobster shows 125s can also be exciting – but not without compromises.1 min read
Preetam Bora | Dec 30, 2025TVS Orbiter Review: Real-World Performance and Range TestedThe TVS Orbiter is a promising electric scooter promising decent range, practicality and pricing. But is there any reason to avoid it? We spent a few days getting to know it better.9 mins read
Jafar Rizvi | Dec 24, 2025MG Windsor EV 38 kWh Long-Term Report: IntroductionThe Windsor EV has joined our garage, and before it settles into daily duty, I took it out to get a sense of what living with an electric car is like.4 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Dec 23, 20252026 Kia Seltos Review: Formula Is Spot On, But Is The Timing Right?The 2nd-gen Kia Seltos has arrived, but it has the challenge of facing strong rivals like the Victoris and Sierra. The question is simple - Does it still have what it takes?9 mins read
car&bike Team | Dec 26, 2025Tata Punch EV Long-Term Second Report: Highway Performance, Pros & ConsAfter a week of living with the Tata Punch EV Long Range—including a proper Mumbai-Nashik highway test—we've learned what this little electric SUV is really made of.1 min read