Tommy plastered his name all over everything. He found out early on THAT IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE...!!! Here, Tommy went back to his glass trailers when the engine builders came out with aluminum blocks (and the need for two cars went away). Here he is, sitting at the curb with the lights on, ready to leave California for the next year's tour.
Tommy continued with the splashes of advertising, sides-front and back!
Changing the subject; look at this old firesuit. They were so bulky and stiff, you couldn't walk around in them all day at the races, as they do today.
This trailer ended up in Seattle, where the new owner made it a fifth-wheel instead of a tongue trailer (Tommy should've done that when it was built). But that meant no more Cadillac tow car - TV Tommy Ivo just wasn't ready for that!
But finally, at last, the Cadillac did have to go. The cars changed length again, then added the high wing. Tommy's newest glass creation required a fifth-wheel trailer. No surprise here, it, too, was IMMACULATE, car show quality all the way...!!!
This time Ivo made it big enough to handle any size or shape, come what may. It still went through several remodels over the next six years. But, no more trailer building - the racecar changes were hard enough to keep up with...!!!
He kept up the popular theme of candy apple paint jobs on the tow trucks. On this one, he had changed over to funny cars. He then closed down the size of the showcase compartment - giving more room for the PEOPLE compartment!
Ivo used all of the best ideas from the past into this one - like using the ramps for pit work support. Naturally, he had to keep the air-conditioned home-away-from-home mini-motel-room. Very nice to ride in from track to track overnight.
This last paint job was the end (sniff) of this good old work-horse trailer. Ivo started running more and more national events, and this rig just didn't come close to being equal to the task at hand. RIP, my good old friend...
Even after arming himself with the latest state-of-the-art Chaparral, triple axle trailer, Ivo quickly found out that his bread and butter match racing and national events couldn't be run simultaneously.
So he "shifted gears" once again...!!!
This last trailer was built for Ivo's 2 year jet car operation. The third year, he used it for his last country wide tour with his four engine dragster. A final "LAST HURRAH" after an unbelievable twenty-one (21) consecutive years as a Touring Professional Drag Racer.
Tommy's last glass trailer and his last front engine dragster, now living in New England. They were reportedly sold for $600,000. They almost found Ivo laying in a pool of blood in his living room when he heard that...!!!
Watching the results on TV of the NHRA Nationals at Epping, NH in 2014, imagine Tommy's surprise to see ESPN open the show with Dave Rieff and Mike Dunn standing in front of TV Tommy Ivo's last glass-sided trailer...
SHAZAM...!!!
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