Tom Tjaarda

Tom Tjaarda (full name Stevens Thompson Tjaarda van Starkenberg) was a Dutch-American automotive designer, born in Detroit on July 23, 1934, and passed away in Turin on June 1, 2017. He worked primarily in Italy, designing vehicles for Ferrari, Fiat, and De Tomaso.

Tjaarda was the son of Joop van Starkenberg Tjaarda (1897-1962), an acclaimed designer who created the Lincoln Zephyr in the 1930s. Following in his father’s footsteps, Tjaarda pursued a degree in architecture at the University of Michigan. It was during his studies that he was noticed by Luigi Segre, head of design at Ghia, after showing a sports station wagon concept. Segre offered him a specialized course, and Tjaarda eagerly moved to Turin, Italy, to seize the opportunity.

During his two-year internship at Ghia, Tjaarda contributed to various production models, prototypes, and concept cars. In 1962, he was hired by Pininfarina, where he worked on several vehicles, the most famous of which was the Fiat 124 Sport Spider.

In 1965, Tjaarda moved to OSI, and after Giorgetto Giugiaro’s departure, he returned to Ghia, where he was involved in the design of models like the De Tomaso Pantera.

In 1978, Tjaarda was recruited by Fiat to lead its Advanced Design Studio, where he oversaw the design of the Autobianchi Y10, Fiat Croma, and Lancia Thema. Three years later, he joined Rayton Fissore to work on the Magnum project. In 1985, Tjaarda decided to start his own design firm, initially called Dimensione Design, which was later rebranded as Tjaarda Design.

In addition to his work in automotive design, Tjaarda also applied his talents to the creation of the Silvercraft SH-200 helicopter and various pieces of furniture.