John Thompson never sought fame nor publicity, but his TC Prototypes (TCP) fabrication and subcontract company was a largely unsung linchpin of the motorsport industry in Britain and beyond for in excess of 30 years. Thompson, who has died aged 85, built chassis, suspension and much more - sometimes complete cars - for scores of teams and manufacturers. Ferrari was one of them: he produced the Scuderia’s first monocoque chassis.
The three tubs Thompson produced for Ferrari’s 312 B3 weren’t the only TCP-built components on the grand prix grid in 1973. It was also responsible for the chassis of the one-off Tecno E731, which was built up in its Northamptonshire workshops, as well as suspension parts for the fledgling Shadow team’s DN1.
