The prewar Crosley was introduced in 1939 as
economical and dependable and offered in the following five models:
Two-door sedan, $390. DeLuxe two-door sedan $400. Convertible coupe,
$339. Covered wagon, $441. Wagon, $496. They were touted as seating up
to four persons with a top that operates in a "jiffy."
Promotional material from the time indicates that Powell Crosley
may have been ahead of his time. He boasted that his car could be parked
in one-third the space of a typical car and could deliver 50 miles per
gallon easily. A two-cylinder, air-cooled Waukesha engine in the
Crosley powers the 9 feet, 8 inch long vehicle. The 40 cubic
inch 135 lbs motor with a single-barrel Tillotson carburetor holds 3 quarts
of oil and develops a whopping 12-horsepower. Waukesha is still in business
making stationary propane engines and celebrated their 100th anniversary
in 2005. Their largest a V-18 is about the size of 4 of these
micro cars.
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The 975-pound convertible rides on an 80-inch
wheelbase supported by 4.25x12-inch tyres. The driver seated behind
the three-spoke steering wheel can clearly see the amp and gas gauges
and 60-mph speedometer, although no one has ever seen the speedometer
needle come close to 60 mph. There's a one-piece windshield and
each door has two sliding windows, which helps add a couple of inches
of hip room for the couple in the front as the windows don't roll down.
Rear-seat occupants are protected by side curtains with plastic windows
when the top is in place. If the driver observes rain clouds forming,
it is prudent to find a bridge to hide under rather then stop and attempt
to raise the top and attach the side curtains.
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Crosley is a name most don't recognize
at first. Powell was often ahead of his time. In 1949 he
introduced the first Post War Sports Car the Hot Shot which went on to
win the first Sebring race in 1950. It sported Americas first all
round disc brake system. Powell introduced the first affordable home radio
and first portable television. He introduced the Shelverator refrigerator...the
first to offer in-door storage. He also owned clear channel WLW
in Cincinnati which broadcast the games of the Reds from Crosley Field...as
he also owned the ball club!
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When the WWII arrived Crosley made prototype
Motorcycles WITH electric starters, motorized Snow Sleds, and even an
outboard motor with water cooled heads...all based on the same Waukesha
Engines used in the pre war car. He then got patent rights for a novel US
made engine with single overhead camshaft. The CoBRA (which stood
for Copper Brazed) Engine was made of steel and welded together.
It was extremely light weight, block 15 lbs, engine 58 lbs, complete with
all accessories including flywheel only 133 lbs! and saw a lot of duty
in all branches of the service and especially for the CBs as a stationary
power source often used to power generators. The 25 HP, 773 cc engine, was
later made of cast iron and formed the basis of Crosley's new lineup introduced
after the war in 1946. In 1948 Crosley sold more Station Wagons then
any car maker in the world. 1952 was the last production of Crosley
Automobiles.
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