John Thompson, the quietly influential founder of TC Prototypes, died at 85. For over three decades his Northamptonshire shop supplied chassis, suspension and whole cars to a parade of racing outfits, most famously delivering Ferrari’s first monocoque tubs for the 312 B3 in 1973. Those three tubs marked the Italian marque’s brief foray into outsourced chassis construction. His modest approach concealed a talent for solving complex engineering challenges.

The deal forced TCP to abandon its familiar Imperial measurements, investing in metric tooling that ate into profit. Thompson recalled charging £400 per tub, yet the switch left little margin. He accepted the job partly for a “holiday” in Italy, ferrying the second and third tubs on the roof rack of his Ford Cortina, kids in tow. The Cortina trips became legendary anecdotes among his crew.

Beyond F1, TCP built dozens of Porsche 962 monocoques, the first TWR Jaguars, three generations of Honda NSX GTs, and contributed to IndyCar, touring and rally programs, including the Ford RS200 and Ralliart’s Gallant. Thompson retired in the mid‑2000s but consulted for EY3 Engineering, leaving a legacy of unheralded engineering that shaped British motorsport for decades. The 962 tubs he produced remain prized by collectors today.