The 1948 Norman Timbs Special

[JohnnyRingo]

It's unfortunate he only built the one. We're lucky in this case however, that we get to see such a rare car from a private collection. Such one of a kind examples often disappear for decades.

via Jalopnik

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The Norman Timbs Special is the Most Beautiful German-Style Car to Come Out of America

What happens when a car designer for the Indy 500 falls in love with the sleek-bodied German race cars of the 1930s? You get the wildly dramatic street-legal roadster unlike one you’ve ever seen before. You get the 1948 Norman Timbs Special.

Norman Timbs, based in Los Angeles, was something of a hot commodity in his day. He was one of the guys who helped build the Tucker 48 alongside automotive entrepreneur Preston Tucker, and he designed the Blue Crown Special cars that went on to win the Indy 500 multiple times. Not a half bad resumé, if you ask me.

-snip-

At first glance, the roadster almost looks like it’s backwards. The passenger compartment is pressed right up to the front of the car and constitutes its own section. Behind it, the body is one sleek piece of bodywork that lifts up like an oversized trunk to reveal all the goodies: the fuel tank, rear wheels, spare tire, and a Buick Straight-8 engine that’s nestled right behind the front seats. That bad boy could push the 2200 lb car to a speed of 120 mph.

To keep with the overall sleekness of the bodywork, Timbs opted against having doors. It would force a break in the poetic curves that would have been too jarring for his tastes. You get to hop in like a debonair Duke boy gone to Le Mans.

The body was made entirely of aluminum with steel piping creating its notable chassis shape. The skirted fadeaway fenders, raked and split windshield, dual exhaust, and teardrop tail lamps were weaved together into a tapestry that was unlike any other car of its era. It almost looks more like a speedboat than it does a race car—but no matter what, it only takes a single glance to know this thing is going to be fast.

Entire article here:
https://jalopnik.com/the-norman-timbs-special-is-the-most-beautiful-german-s-1828913959

On edit, here is the "as found" condition. Lucky it was mostly there:

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[RainCaster]

1. Wow! That is the most beautiful car I have ever seen

[rusty quoin]

2. I guess it was something, but it looks like it is dragging a whole lot of unnecessary things.

Maybe it was aerodynamic back then, but we have improved without looking bad. I remember liking a banana shaped car in the 70s for it’s aero. I wouldn’t want to have it now.

[JohnnyRingo]

3. Early aerodynamic theories

revolved around the belief that a raindrop would offer the least resistance because that's the natural shape a drop of water forms in free fall. Many racing airplanes from the '30s and even some Indy cars back then were formed as such.

I believe this is still a slippery design today, but as you say, the aesthetic didn't age well, much like the aerodynamic bubble cars of the '80s.

[Mopar151]

4. It does not have to be MY perfect car.

But, Damm, that's fine! And that is a major part of it's function, too. To be fine

[hlthe2b]

5. What an incredible restoration, that's all I'll say. Someone gave a chunk of their life to that.

[3Hotdogs]

6. I guess the aluminum body helped preserve it.

[hlthe2b]

7. Not to mention what looks like a desert "burial" ground...