The pre-war 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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