The Torpedo Special was a .298 cuin. engine which was produced between 1946 and 1950 in both spark ignition and glow-plug versions by Miniature Motors of Culver City, California. The engine was designed by Miniature Motors' shop foreman Zip Grandell - contrary to a seemingly widespread belief, Bill Atwood was not involved. The engine was manufactured to a very good standard.

The Torpedo Special was notable for two distinct reasons. For one thing, its design arrangement set it well apart from its competitors by utilizing a baffle piston in conjunction with a front transfer port and a rear exhaust arrangement. A single bypass passge at the front fed the transfer port, while exhaust chores were handled by a pair of spectacular rewarward-swept exhaust stacks - a refreshing change from the more or less universal side-stack configuration of the time. A rearward-angled plug added to the engine's highly individualistic appearance.

The Torpedo Special's second claim to fame resulted from its involvement in a dispute over the ownership of the Torpedo name. It seems that the rights to the Torpedo (and Bullet) names and designs were sold simultaneously to two different parties, one of them being Miniature Motors and the other being John Brodbeck of K&B. Ooops!! A three-way lawsuit resulted, with both claimants plus the original Torpedo designer Bill Atwood all being involved. In the end, nothing really seems to have been resolved - Miniature Motors continued to produced their Torpedo Special and Bullet models up to 1950, while K&B's long-running Torpedo series became legendary. There may have been a cash settlement of which no record has been preserved.

The Torpedo Special was a fine runner, albeit not especially powerful.  A full review and test will appear in due course on this website.