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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