Driving Magnolia

Getting behind the wheel of a car I've dreamed about for over one dozen years.

Note: due to a smattering of minor errors in the initial version of this essay, I’ve made the decision to edit and re-disseminate the piece. My apologies!

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I knew that the fire and brimstone of my last post had to be countered with an upbeat write-up in its wake. What better way to do that than to spotlight a machine built by hand over two years?

Since it featured on Jay Leno’s Garage in 2012, I have been enamored with the Magnolia Special. There’s no other car on the planet quite like this one, and I know that’s overused sentiment, but badass cars which have a real-world mission statement are not much of a thing. “Only one” automobiles tend to draw me in, and the story behind the Magnolia is incredible.

The man who built it, J.T. Nesbitt, hails from Louisiana — hence the name of the car, after the state flower. Looking to highlight the use case of CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) as a vehicle fuel, Nesbitt crafted the Magnolia in his studio, Bienville, which is better known for work in the realm of motorcycles. From 2009 to 2011, “Maggie” took shape, with ample thought given to CNG tank placement and coast-to-coast drivability. (You can read a whole lot more about the build process on his website.) The Special is more than just a pretty face.

There are so many flourishes weaved into the car’s body that you’d be forgiven for thinking it was built to be a show ornament. Even stuff you would never see, or care about, is enhanced with breathtaking craftsmanship. Most of the flair incorporates the car’s namesake.

The Magnolia’s barnstorming credentials were solidified when Nesbitt and a friend drove the finished product from New York to Los Angeles in 89 hours, setting a record for all alternative-fuel vehicles. To this day, the Magnolia Special claims the fastest time for covering the country on CNG. Alas, that seemed to be it. “Maggie” snagged a few contemporary headlines, and Nesbitt shifted his focus to motorcycles once more, selling the car on auction website Bring a Trailer in 2023.

I grew older, and grew fascinated with a plethora of other special machines, but the Magnolia Special never left my mind. After friending Nesbitt on Facebook, some wheels in my head started to turn. I figured that, if I could write about his car and bring some attention to CNG, it could be a piece. Simultaneously, I got to know Nick Pugh, who has a patent for CNG tank storage in a ladder chassis arrangement. Pugh’s NGV-USA enterprise developed a van and radical concept car (called Longranger and Xeno III, respectively) which used the same fuel as the Magnolia.¹

After getting a chat going with both men, my focus turned to the whereabouts of the beguiling Louisiana lady. Since Xeno III was in a museum (and Longranger was destroyed), I was praying that I could, at least, drive this childhood dream. Nesbitt put me in touch with the purchaser of his baby, a gentleman in the Bay Area of California, and he seemed (through text) nice enough.

In mid-January, sandwiched between a blitz up to San Francisco from L.A. and a same-day flight back, 24-year-old Tyler came in clutch for his younger self.

Ben Kopf, who owns the Special, picked me up from the airport himself, before whisking me to one of his dealerships. There she was, waiting.

She sits high and mighty, commanding quite a presence among, say, the by-the-numbers Acura sedans and crossovers Kopf had parked it next to.

Since I freelance write, and don’t often have a publication I’m representing, getting a story produced can vary in ease. Some car buffs aren’t willing to open up for young bucks like me who are just starting out. I’m thankful that Kopf could not have been more accommodating. We conducted an interview, I got plenty of pictures in, and he even took me to an on-the-house lunch with two of the other guys involved in his business operations. This was a collective cherry on top, though, regarding the main attraction. You know it, I know it, and the picture below says it better than any splatter of words can.

First, Kopf took the wheel, and I sat beside him as a passenger. You might think the Magnolia would produce a reserved hum, since it doesn’t run on gasoline, but the Jaguar straight-six motor bellows just like you’d expect a classic Jag to. He still runs the roadster on CNG, and fills it at stations utilized by sanitation trucks.

After a bit of driving (Kopf discovered the car’s fifth gear as we were on the move), we pulled over for a swap. Immediately, there was an issue. I’m sure you’ll agree that the Magnolia Special is akin to a tailored suit. This extends to the fact that Nesbitt, a tall gent, wanted a comfortable driving experience. Kopf stands a little over six feet, and he, too, fits behind the wheel well. I am 5’8.”

The Magnolia has no seatbelts, and the bench seat inside is adjustable, so I slid it fully forward, imagining that there would be no hassle. There wasn’t, I suppose, but I had to slouch on the seat, with my legs fully extended, as if I was standing on the tips of my toes. At one point, I joked to Kopf “I feel like I need a phone book to sit on, like a little kid!”

Since I did not want to foot a repair bill for any part of a hand-built, artisanal speedster, I kept my driving fairly restrained.

After taking some photos, I let Kopf assume the wheel once more. We headed for the airport, and said our goodbyes, right after…but, on our way back to the Acura dealership where the day’s proceedings began, I snapped a selfie as we were cruising on the highway, knowing damn well that I had knocked a dream out of the park, killing it while more alive than ever.

1. Stay tuned for the full story!