After working as a designer for Tucker and Davis, Norman Timbs wanted to build his own car at the end of the 1940s, just for himself. Although he had no motorsport in mind, he took a German racing car as his model. Almost 80 years later, his Buick-engined "Special" is still an eye-catcher, even though it has since been scrapped and burned to the ground. This article tells the story of a one-off that just won't die.