The Norman Timbs Special
The Norman Timbs Special is a homebuilt Sport Custom built by Norman Timbs over a span of three years. Norman's streamlined custom was supposed to be a prototype for a limited series of cars reflecting advanced concepts in performance and aesthetics. Being an automotive engineer working with Preston Tucker on his Tucker Automobiles and on several Indy cars, Norman made comprehensive chassis drawings that led to 1/4 scale clay models of several body ideas. The models led to a wooden model incorporating the favored elements.[2] Norman handmade an aluminum body for the car by forming panels on the wooden pattern. The panels were then welded together.[3] The chassis was made of welded aircraft tubing. The car was 17 1/2 feet long with a 117-inch wheelbase, 56-inch thread, and a weight of 2 500 pounds. It was powered by a 1948 Buick Straight 8 engine located just behind the driver's seat. Steering, brakes, and other equipment were standard Mercury.[3] The rear body of the car was hinged to raise hydraulically for access to the engine compartment, fuel tank, and spare tire. The fuel tank was placed between the wheels. The front hood covered a luggage compartment. In the rear, taillights from a 1939 Ford were installed.[4] Without the windshield the car stood 39 inches tall. The total height with the windshield was 47 inches[3] Total cost of the build was $10,000 according to Mechanix Illustrated September 1949.[5] Once completed, Norman's Buick Special was featured on the cover of Motor Trend October 1949, the second issue of Motor Trend.
In 1954, the Norman's Buick Special was featured in Motor Life February 1954. By then, the car had been painted white. it was currently owned by Air Force Officer Jim Davis of Manhattan Beach, California. The article stated that the car was the brain-child of former aircraft manufacturer Larry Timm. According to the story, Larry designed and built the car over a three-year period ending in 1948. Davis bought the car in 1952 and was, according to the story, the first person to have the car registered for road use.[6] Norman's Buick Special was featured in an episode of Buck Rogers.[7]
For several years, the car was parked away in the hot California desert. In 2000 it was featured briefly in the Nicholas Cage movie Gone in 60 Seconds.[7] Two years later, In 2002 it was auctioned away by Barret Jackson at the Petersen Museum Classic Car Auction. The sales price was $17,600.00 USD.[8] Collector Gary Cerveny was the lucky bidder. Gary began to restore the car himself before he decided to hand it over to Custom Auto of Loveland, Colorado, and let them complete it. Before Gary handed the car over to Custom Auto, he repaired the wheel wells, grille opening, and drive train.[9] The car was about 90% original when Gary acquired it. The body halves had been bolted together, and access holes had been cut in for the rear wheels and the engine bay.[10] In March of 2010 the restored version of the car made its debut at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in Florida. At the show, it won "The RM Auctions Trophy For the Best Open Car".[11] Later on in 2010 Norman Timbs' Buick Special was hand-picked to be part of the prestigious Customs Then and Now exhibit at the 2011 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California, an elite gathering of the most historically significant customs in the world. In August of 2012, the car also competed in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the world's premier celebration of the automobile. In 1997, the Pebble Beach Hot Rod Class was started. The Hot Rod Class has featured roadsters, coupes, and pre-war customs. The 2012 Hot Rod Class was dedicated to Sport Customs and one offs such as the Arthur Bentas' Raven, the 1950 Saturn, the 1947 Kurtis Omohundro, the Maverick sportster, the Coachcraft Special and Vince Gardner's 1947 Studebaker.
Contents
Lost to Malibu Wildfires
In November of 2018, the Norman Timbs Special and 30 plus other cars, including Dave Cunningham's 1940 Ford, Lee Talbot and Sam Chakries' 1953 Studebaker Pick Up, and Ray Goulart's 1950 Oldsmobile were lost to the Malibu wildfires as Gary Cerveny's collection burned down to the ground.[12] A tragic day in custom car history.
A Vision Reborn
Despite the overwhelming loss, the spirit of the Norman Timbs Special proved indomitable. Gary Cerveny, refusing to let the dream die, embarked on a meticulous journey to resurrect the Streamliner. In an almost prophetic act of preservation, the car's body had been digitally recreated on a computer shortly before the fire. This digital foresight became the blueprint for the rebirth. With the expertise of restorer John Bothwell from Costa Mesa, California, a painstaking process began to recreate the iconic Streamliner. The aluminum body alone took two arduous years to complete.[13]
A Show-Stopping Revival at the 2024 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
The resurrection of the Norman Timbs Special culminated in its breathtaking reveal at the 2024 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, a prestigious event that celebrates the zenith of automotive beauty and heritage. Held March 3, 2024, this was not the Streamliner’s first appearance at Amelia; it had graced the Concours in 2010 shortly after its initial restoration. However, its return, post-recovery from the calamity, marked a momentous occasion, symbolizing not just the vehicle's physical restoration but also its enduring significance in the annals of automotive history.[13] The car won Best in Class in the Sport Customs class at the show.[14]
Magazine Features
Custom Cars Trend Book No. 101
Mechanix Illustrated September 1949
Motor Trend October 1949
Popular Mechanics December 1949
Motor Life February 1954
Classic & Sports Car June 2002
Hop Up Volume 9
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Rik Hoving Custom Car Photo Archive
- ↑ Hop Up Volume 9
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Popular Mechanics December 1949
- ↑ Custom Cars Trend Book No. 101
- ↑ Mechanix Illustrated September 1949
- ↑ Motor Life February 1954
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 www.motorsnippets.com
- ↑ www.barrett-jackson.com
- ↑ www.customautoloveland.com
- ↑ The HAMB - Norman E. Timbs Custom Buick Streamliner
- ↑ www.ameliaconcours.org
- ↑ Autoweek - Norman Tims Special and 30-Plus Other Classics Lost to Malibu Fires
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Robb Report - The 10 Most Exciting Cars at the Amelia Concours
- ↑ Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance - 2024 Winners
Sources
Rik Hoving Custom Car Photo Archive
Links
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