BRIAN TANTI
Ipull up outside the address given to me by Brian Tanti; I’m not entirely sure I’m in the right spot. The building looks somewhat unoccupied and lacks the hallmarks of a restoration business. No abandoned parts and half-finished projects scattered in the side alley. No dented 44-gallon drums stacked at the side of the building…
I call Brian to let him know I’m here and he emerges from the doorway. I step into air-conditioned comfort and hear a warning from a large four-legged animal echo from above.
His handshake is firm but warm and somewhat awkwardly we’re dressed the same, black shirt, blue jeans. I’m introduced to the resident guard dog who needs to have a sniff to make sure I’m okay. I pass muster but he still keeps a suspicious eye on me for a minute or two.
The workshop looks like it could have been something as mundane as an accounting office in its previous life. Low roof and white panelled ceiling tiles. The type you count when you’re wishing the days away in your dead-end office job (I speak from experience here). No room for a hoist – it about the only piece of equipment missing from Brian’s extensive array of tools accumulated over a lifetime as a master coach-builder.
A wall in the kitchen area displays a snippet of the life of Brian. He points to the blue 550 Spyder he restored for billionaire transport juggernaut and car collector, Lindsay Fox. ‘That’s chassis number 56 brand new being taken out of its crate.’ When the 550 first arrived at Port Melbourne it was delivered to the Southern Cross Service Station on St Kilda
Road, where it was unpacked and checked over. Channel 7 is there interviewing engineer/mechanic/racer Otto Stone.
Brian is incredibly humble considering his achievements and how his talents are viewed on the world stage. ‘I feel pretty blessed.’ He recounts a chance interaction at SEMA with Rod Emory, best known for his work with customising Porsche 356s. ‘I introduced myself and, before I could say another word, he said, “I know who you are.” A little later that evening Brian happened across a post from Rod: “Today I got to spend time with Chip Foose and Brian Tanti – two of the people I admire the most for their work ethic.” Wow!
You don’t know what type of impact you have through your work – it’s so nice to be acknowledged like that.’ Brian started his career in a panel shop in Melbourne and soon travelled to the UK and gained experience working for companies that specialised in restoring bespoke Rollsroyce and Bentleys.
Arriving back in Australia Brian began working for Rob Mcdermott at his Rolls Royce dealership in Melbourne. ‘It was an incubator for a lot of the key people in the industry these days. Rob, for the best part, was really keen on getting your skills up. If it took you a little more time to do it right, that dedication really counted for you.’
When Brian started working for Lindsay Fox in 1994, there were around 100 cars in the collection valued at about nine million. Today the collection is valued at something around 45 million, with the 550 Spyder alone worth close to nine.’
‘I got to build some really interesting cars. First was a Jaguar XK120 roadster, then a couple of 300SLSS. Next came the 550 Spyder. As it grew, we employed more people and I moved into managing the collection. A whole range of very talented people came together and produced fantastic work in order to make the collection right: