Audi TT, Freeman Thomas and Alfa

[RBoniface@domain.elided]

In a message dated 3/13/00 3:10:09 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

<< Sorry guys, that brilliant design was penned by an American, Freeman
 Thomas at Audi's design studio in California (as was the new Beetle).
 He sure was proud of himself too when those cars were initially
 released.
 Granted, the home office should have caught the airflow problems... >>

Freeman Thomas is my boss at DaimlerChrysler now and he has a real soft spot 
for Alfas.  Over lunch one day he told me, and I'm not making this up, that 
one of his main influences on the design of the TT was the 1960 Alfa 
Giulietta SZ.  He told me that he admired its efficient shape, thick 
bodyside, slim sideglass and wheels-to-the corner stance.  

It was unseasonably warm in Motown last week and Freeman asked that I and my 
staffer Patrick Ayoub bring our cars to the courtyard for an impromptu car 
show since he planned to drive his P-car Speedster to work.  Patrick showed 
up with his immaculate 63 Giulia Spider and I brought the Fiat OSCA 
(Giulietta still isn't finished).  Freeman took the Giulia for a ride and was 
really impressed with the refinement of the car and called the car 
"incredibly elegant."  He was also amazed that he could get two of 'em for 
the price of his 356.

That weekend, Freeman also told me that he got to drive Karl Robertson's 
Montreal around for awhile.  He proceeded to ask me where he could get a 
Montreal V8 for an Alfa powered special.  I told him he should just buy the 
whole car and forget about those German things.

Bob Boniface

Manager
Advanced Product Design Studio
DaimlerChrysler

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