Art Zimmer’s Golden Spirit

by J. J. Scott

“A car with your name?  You have to buy it!” Shirley Zimmer told her husband, Art Zimmer.  The car was a 1987 Zimmer Golden Spirit and Art Zimmer is a successful self-made businessman in Syracuse, New York. He was lucky his last name wasn’t Benz or Studebaker as that would have been a more complicated undertaking because the purchase led to resurrecting the Zimmer Car Company.

What’s a Zimmer?  The Zimmer is a neo-classic car that not only got Shirley Zimmer’s attention but draws attention wherever it goes.  Recently I had the pleasure of riding in a Zimmer. It was the new car’s test drive before the owner picked up the car. The Zimmer isn’t an ordinary vehicle nor was it an ordinary test drive.  The Zimmer draws admiring looks from everyone, even the policeman seemed to ignore that fact that it was parked for a short time in a No Parking area.

Art Zimmer learned the meaning of work on a farm near Hamilton, New York, becoming successful in many areas including real estate. Currently he is the owner of the popular Syracuse New Times, a weekly alternative newspaper. When Zimmer bought the neo-classic Zimmer he wasn’t just adding to his collection of toys. “I don’t collect toys.  I work,” he explained. The next logical step was to start making Zimmers.  The original Zimmer Car Company was started by Paul Zimmer – no relation – a successful businessman who bought an Excaliber neo-classic car for the fun of it and decided he could make a better one.  And he did.  In 1980 the first Zimmer Golden Spirit rolled out of the factory.  For 8 years the company produced an average of 176 cars a year.  When Paul Zimmer’s health took a turn for the worse so did his many businesses and the Zimmer Car Company was no longer.

Enter Art Zimmer. In 1996 he started the Zimmer Motor Car Club for Zimmer owners.  With over 700 members, he felt there was enough support and interest to start producing Zimmers again. Zimmer, the entrepreneur who doesn’t play around with “toys,” started the Art Zimmer Neo-Classic Motor Car Company. Modestly, Zimmer says, “I don’t know anything about building cars.” That’s not quite true, of course, but he does know how to make things happen, and where to find capable people to do what needs to be done.  After more than a year dealing with the legalities, research, and construction the new Zimmer made its debut in Pittsburgh, PA on December 11, 1998, and sold in 24 hours. Today Zimmer’s are created in Syracuse, NY.

Zimmer owners run the gamut from the discriminating millionaire to oil-rich royalty to sport celebrities. It’s no secret that Shaquille O’Neal’s Zimmer is a red, two-door coupe. Art shared Zimmer stories.  I like the one about the oil sheik who wanted one – immediately!  All Zimmers are custom made but the sheik didn’t want to wait.

“Isn’t there one somewhere I could buy?”

Art Zimmer pondered the question, and replied, “No, there’s just mine.” 

“How much do you want for it?”

Zimmer explained, “I had 10 seconds to consider how much the car was worth, how much money I had in it, and then added $10,000 because I didn’t want to sell it. I gave him a price and the sheik said, ‘It’s a deal!’”

At the end of the ride the only thing that seemed to be missing was music, specifically a song about the Zimmer.  Yes, there is a song, “Art Zimmer’s Golden Spirit,” which is not surprising because Zimmer also sponsors the Syracuse New Times Theater and a variety of other theatrical endeavors.

There is more to Art Zimmer than his Golden Spirit Zimmer. He is a modern day Renaissance man who claims to be “only a farm boy” but a farm boy who wears an ascot everyday. He has lent his personal “golden spirit” to several enterprises through the years and brought about Renaissance or “rebirth” of others.  He resurrected the Zimmer neo-classic car, breathed new life into the failing Syracuse New Times, and added a much-needed spark to the arts in Central New York. 

(image 6) Knowing that I would never be the owner of a Zimmer, I felt lucky for the hour I enjoyed riding in a four-door Golden Spirit.  But I could dream about being a Zimmer owner.  Which would I pick: the 4-door convertible like the one used by George Forman when he was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame, or a two-door convertible like Shaquille O’Neal’s?  I think the four-door convertible Golden Spirit.  But what color?  Maybe canary yellow. Might as well be conspicuously conspicuous! Oh, to dream the impossible dream.

www.zimmermotorcars.com