80 mpg at 45 mph, in the mid 1930s, and it's a front wheel drive 3 wheeler with an air cooled flat 4, found in a Dean Batchelor book on the Harrah collection. But that's not as fascinating to me as the designer's son's path through life

 

http://www.backroads.ie/forum/car-related/r-roads/81-random-picture-thread/page2719

Why the article states that designer Tom Tjaarda, by mistake, and should have instead said that John Tjaarda was it's designer. John was Tom's father, and he came to the USA in 1923, and designed the Lincoln Zephyr, which wowed car enthusiasts in 1936

Proving that parents are very important in guiding the life of their kids, and having smart and wealthy parents generally results in smart and wealthy kids, I present to you, a quick bio of Tom Tjaarda, designer for Carrozzeria Ghia and Pininfarina.

Stevens Thompson Tjaarda Van Starkenberg was born in Detroit to Irene Thompson Tjaarda and the automotive designer Joop „Jan“ Tjaarda Van Starkenberg (1897–1962)

Tom won 2nd prize in the General Motors Craftmen´s Guild competition for the construction of a model car, before graduating high school

Studied and received a degree in architecture at the University of Michigan, was there from 1953 to 1958

took an industrial design course from Prof. Lahti and made a Sports Station Wagon model car for class thesis. The Prof. recommended Tjaarda to Luigi Segre (Ghia, Torino) whom he visited during his sabbatical in summer of 1956 

Worked for Ghia on the exterior and interior design of a monorail train for exhibition “Italia 61” when not at Gabetti & Isola, architects and furniture designer

Italia 61 was an Exhibition for the History of Fashions, Style and Living Trends on the Centennial of Italy´s Independence

Its director was no less than Battista “Pinin” Farina 

Then the next year, or thereabouts, went to Connecticut and worked on the design of diesel engines for Cummins Engine Company Inc.

Then worked on the Westinghouse Time Capsule pavilion for the New York World´s Fair

Then back to Italy, designing wheels for OSI and Bianchi, 

In 1968, is made head of design for Ghia, and makes such an impression on Ford, that they buy Ghia and Vignale 

“It is to laugh. Ford Motor Company, the monolith of Dearborn, goes to Italy to buy some of that exotic styling in the form of two famous coachbuilding firms – Ghia and Vignale – and they end up with a designer born and raised in Detroit.”  True fact. 

http://www.tom-tjaarda.net/