Brad Willis

This is a repost of an item that I shared a couple of days ago. The reason that I'm reposting it is that it received zero response, and I wonder if anyone even read it. If this information is true, and I believe that it very well may be, then our TT was originally Freeman Thomas' vision of the Porsche Boxster, conceived by him when he was a designer for Porsche. This is certainly new and very interesting info, if accurate. Anyway, here's the repost:

A guy dropped by our office to despoit a check around the close of the business day. We both left about the same time, and he saw me getting into my TT. He asked if he could check it out, and of course I didn't mind.

This fellow went on to explain that he is close personal friends with Freeman Thomas (designer of the TT for the uninitiated). He went on to explain that Mr. Thomas actually has TT sketches dating to around 1987, when he was a designer for Porsche. According to this gentleman, Mr. Thomas initially encouraged Porsche to use his design for the Boxster, but they obviously went in a different direction.

He also said that Thomas drops by the Daimler Chrysler Calif design center, which is less than a block from my office, every few weeks. I gave him my card, and asked if he thought that Freeman might be interested in doing lunch and/or speaking at one of out SoCal TT Club meetings. He said that Thomas might like that, and he would pass along my card, but who knows?

I certainly won't hold my breath, but I did feel that this fellow was credible. Interesting stuff, eh?

Victor F

I certainly read it but I can't find any info. to confirm it....wouldn't suprise me tho'

Brad Willis

I can't confirm it, but being a police officer in years past, I consider myself an excellent b.s. detector. I've been lied to so many times by so many people for so many years, that I feel that I can usually tell if someone is full of it. I believed that this fellow was completely credible. He certainly seemed to know his stuff, and said that he has been good friends with Thomas for many years. He described the many sketches that Thomas has of the concept Porsche Boxster (later Audi TT) dated late '80s.

Remember that I work less that a block from the Daimler Chrysler design center in Carlsbad CA, and apparently Thomas visits every few weeks.

Marius B

Thomas wouldn't be at liberty to confirm the story, if he had Porsche as a client.

Jon Roberto

I remember reading an article or an interview with Freeman Thomas and he said that he has always had this car in his head and has always wanted to have it built. I guess Audi saw the design and liked it. I can see him pitching the TT design to Porsche when he worked for them and not having it selected by management. The TT has very distinct 356 retro look. Instead of the Boxster resembling the 55O Spyder it could have resembled the 356 coupe and cabriolet.

Just my $.02

ObsessTT

When I showed the car to my mom when I got it, she said something like "it looks like something you used to draw on your notebooks when you were a kid."

Kids often, IMO, draw cars and planes that are impossible to manufacture since they don't have the engineering in them. Along those lines, my little car I drew had a totally curved profile, no angles. Of course, it is easy to draw a car from curves. You know this if you ever looked at a basic "How to Draw" book.

I remember other kids didn't like my little car because it didn't have a spoiler or side exhaust or a big air dam in the front. (This was 1975 or so.)

Well, I have no proof, and am in the wrong industry anyway, but my mom remembers it, and dammit, mom's remember EVERYTHING!

Alas, my TT will have a spolier before the next equinox.

Ivan

FT

Did you just meet FT?