A note from Oliver Winterbottom - Tasmin Designer
Discussion
Following the invitation to BBWF 2005:
Thank you for contacting me. My plans at present means I cannot join you in July. However, should this change I will get back to you.
The Tasmin has been somewhat under rated in the press of recent years (in my not very humble view). Creating that car was enormous fun and hard work. The car was probably better developed than previous models from Blackpool and I recall the motoring press saying so at the time. We even had Part Numbers for the components for the first time in the company! It should also be remembered that there were a number (about 30) of the old models still unsold 9 months after the Tasmin launch. There was a big recession at the time and everyone struggled. Terry Lendrim, who was our experimental fabricator is still involved at
Bristol Avenue. He told me he had "been retired" but was planning to continue to work there - he became their legal/homologation expert. I would be delighted if he could "stand in" as a member of the original
team. (edited by Sean - working on it
) Funny how as one gets on a bit, people want to talk about the good old days. I did a Lotus Elite wedge day last summer and thoughly enjoyed it. I thought it had stood the test of time quite well.
Best regards and keep in touch
Oliver
Thank you for contacting me. My plans at present means I cannot join you in July. However, should this change I will get back to you.
The Tasmin has been somewhat under rated in the press of recent years (in my not very humble view). Creating that car was enormous fun and hard work. The car was probably better developed than previous models from Blackpool and I recall the motoring press saying so at the time. We even had Part Numbers for the components for the first time in the company! It should also be remembered that there were a number (about 30) of the old models still unsold 9 months after the Tasmin launch. There was a big recession at the time and everyone struggled. Terry Lendrim, who was our experimental fabricator is still involved at
Bristol Avenue. He told me he had "been retired" but was planning to continue to work there - he became their legal/homologation expert. I would be delighted if he could "stand in" as a member of the original
team. (edited by Sean - working on it
) Funny how as one gets on a bit, people want to talk about the good old days. I did a Lotus Elite wedge day last summer and thoughly enjoyed it. I thought it had stood the test of time quite well. Best regards and keep in touch
Oliver
Yes - the car was well received in 1979 - especially by 'Car' magazine. Does anyone have the issue with the report on the Tasmin?
This brings me back to the question of why TVRCC and now some other people insist on celebrating the 25 anniversary THIS year instead of last year? The car was announced in 1979 and now I hear (in another current thread somewhere) that a number of cars were sold before the year's end.
Seems we forgot to celebrate it at the BBWF last year. But maybe, in reality, the first BBWF was in itself a celebration of 25 years of the car.
JJ
This brings me back to the question of why TVRCC and now some other people insist on celebrating the 25 anniversary THIS year instead of last year? The car was announced in 1979 and now I hear (in another current thread somewhere) that a number of cars were sold before the year's end.
Seems we forgot to celebrate it at the BBWF last year. But maybe, in reality, the first BBWF was in itself a celebration of 25 years of the car.
JJ
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