We pay visit to Tom Fischer
Tom Fischer Classic & Race Car Service has been founded in 1991 and has since then been a huge name in the circle of high-end car collectors. Historically significant cars and racing heroes, concours-winners and unique examples: the walls of Tom’s workshop have seen it all. From the extremely coveted Ferrari 250 TDF and GT Berlinetta SWB, to pre-war Bentley’s and Lamborghini Miura’s, there is no challenge that the team at Tom Fischer doesn’t take on. We at Schaltkulisse have been maintaining a good and fruitful relationship with Tom over the years. The facility is located in Brannenburg, less than an hour away from Munich, in picturesque Bavaria, surrounded by mountains and endless green fields. Saying we love to visit the workshop is an understatement, and we are therefore always looking for an opportunity to make the 60-km-long journey. It was then a no-brainer that we had to visit Tom Fischer when we heard that the German Bugatti Club would be there during their rally through Bavaria. Of course, we happened to have a few jewels from the brand and decided to display two significant cars from our collection: a Bugatti EB112 and a Bugatti Divo. Visiting Tom Fischer is always an exciting experience packed with surprises. There, we quickly decided to do a tour of the facility before the arrival of the Bugatti club. And boy were we in for a surprise: hidden under a cover is the unique Pininfarina Dino Prototype, a car even Enzo Ferrari adored.
The Dino Berlinetta Speciale Prototype was Ferrari’s first mid-engined design study, and the last car to get the Battista Pinin Farina treatment, before his death in 1966. The overwhelmingly positive response the car received was the indirect reason why Ferrari is still to this day building mid-engined cars: the cars which came after this success, namely the Dino 206 GT and 246 GT/GTS, generated a much-needed financial lifeline for the company. Such are the cars which crown the workshops of Tom Fischer: on our left, a completely original Lamborghini Miura, still in its first paint, and a Maserati 3500 GT patiently waiting for its first coat of color. Conservation and preservation is what Tom tries to achieve in all his projects, as originality only exists once. The rumble of the incoming Bugatti’s interrupted our guided tour. The thick rain didn’t scare the pre-war cars, and all made it on their own axis. The line-up was incredible: a myriad of Type 35’s and Type 57’s in all shapes and colors, each tried to find a space to squeeze in on the tight driveway.
Some cars were restored, other seemed to be completely original, such as this Type 35, which barely had any paint left on its body. It was a joy to see these cars from the 1920’s and 1930’s still being enjoyed and properly driven as intended by Ettore Bugatti. A closer look at the cars reveals incredible details, details which show the artistic origin of the Bugatti brand. Having the EB112 and Divo just next to their older siblings was an incredible occasion to find common design elements which wouldn’t be obvious at a first look. Even today, and after several ownerships, Bugatti still pays homage to its beginnings and history, and it shows. Visiting Tom Fischer was an occasion for us to get an update one some of our ongoing projects, such as this Ferrari 250 Pininfarina Cabriolet Series II we sold to a loyal customer of ours. A full restoration was commissioned, where the car was stripped to bare metal. It will be finished in its original combination of Bianco Polo over a blue leather interior, in our opinion, an incredible specification for this highly collectable Pininfarina-bodied Ferrari. The PF Cabriolet is awaiting a full engine rebuild, after which the restoration process can be completed. We cannot wait to see the final result!
GALLERY
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