Industrial designer looking for classic car sketches shortlist as he shops

Bruce Thomson is looking for his dream classic. Rather than merely relying on memory to evaluate his shortlist, the automotive designer sketches every car he samples – even adding annotations to detail specific characteristics of each example…

“I’ve been told that I was born in the wrong decade,” says Canadian industrial designer turned college professor Bruce Thomson. “Everything from music to cars was better in the 60s and 70s, at least in my view.” We’d have to agree.

Master draftsman

Now Thomson is searching for his perfect automotive match, having recently sold his 1971 Mercedes-Benz 220. During his quest so far, he has documented each sports car he has sampled with annotated sketchworks – including observations such as ‘after-market bumper, really busy’ and ‘turbine wheels are lovely… bet they’re a chore to clean’. What’s more, his blog Kicking Vintage Tyres also includes the remarks of his wife Evelyn in terms of cool-factor, comfort, price and ‘likelihood that I’d join Bruce on a Sunday drive in this’. The search is ongoing, and we’ll be keeping you updated on Bruce and Evelyn’s progress – we’re genuinely fascinated to see what finally ticks all the boxes.

Photos: Bruce Thomson

You (and Bruce) can find thousands of classic cars for sale in the Classic Driver Market.