No Automobile Looks Like The 1947 Norman Timbs Special

This car is the epidemy of 40s glamour

Design to impress and satisfy an engineer’s curiosity, this is One-of-a-kind. There is a legendary car you should know about, and I guess you very little knowledge of its existence. It is called the Norman Timbs Special. Does that ring a bell?

It might resonate with ardent car enthusiasts but might be just another little-known manufacturer trying their luck. It’s none of the above.

The Norman Timbs Special is a one-off car built by renowned Indy 500 engineer Norman Timbs in Los Angeles. Estimates state that he built the car at a cost of $10,000, which was no doubt a hefty amount to thing of back in those days.

Everything about the dimensions of this car makes it very special. It measures only 47″ tall with a wheelbase that is 117″.

The length from front to end is about 17 feet. Weight about 2,200 pounds, this car sits in an aluminum skin sent on a tube frame chassis.

The Norman Timbs Special is powered by a mid-engine Buick straight-eight engine with dual carburetors. The Timbs Special took advantage of heavily modified 1947 Ford suspension components that gave it its plush ride. Its speed is reported to be 120mph.

But this is a car that was built to do things in its own way and style. The tail section opens sensationally behind the cockpit to expose the gas tank, spare tire, engine and other mechanical components that lie underneath.

You cannot help to admire the dedicated designer’s thirst for shape and form. This is a car with a particularly rich history and a true gem of the automobile industry.

In it won the RM Auctions Trophy for the Best Open Car. Such is the heritage of this special vehicle from the years gone by.