Another car never kitted, much less mentioned

[Joe Handley]

Thanks Toylvr, the more I think about it, the trucklette thing may have been a Cushman....it's been a few years since I saw it last.

[traditional]

My brother, Larry, and I have a penchant for all sorts of small cars, and one of the cars that we've totally restored is a '49 Crosley wagon, pictured here (evidently the wagons are the most plentiful of the various Crosley models). We've also collected some Braje speed equipment for the Crosley, and ,since most of the Braje equipment is 'bolt-on' stuff, it might be fun to bolt a bunch of the speed equipment on for a while and surprise a few 'Tuner Guyz' at one of their gatherings. Although the Crosley motor is diminutive, it was a fairly advanced, lightweight, over head cam motor that was quite popular in TQ Midget racing as well as in boat racing 'back in the day'.

I'd certainly love to find a decent model kit of any stock Crosley. I do have a couple of 1/43 diecast Crosleys....wagon and sedan delivery.

[unclescott58]

The head of our local Crosley Club chapter (the North Star Chapter), and editor of the National Crosley Club's magazine, Fred Syrdahl has a Crosley fork lift. I remember him having me do a tuneup on it maybe 15 years ago now. Parts were still readily available at that time. By the way, Fred has a good joke about Crosley's emblem. He says, "You see those birds in Crosley's emblem? They represent the the pigeons that got suckered in to buying a Crosley." And Fred should know, at any one time he owns probably a half a dozen Crosleys, or more.

Scott

Edited September 9, 2014 by unclescott58

[dartman]

Hey... Don't start comparing Crosley's to King Midgets. I like King Midgets. But, they make Crosleys look big and luxurious. And that's the only way you'll see Crosleys as "big and luxurious".

Scott

I think the spinners are a nice touch......

[unclescott58]

I think the spinners are a nice touch......

Ah... But the King Midget did not come with those spinners from the factory. If you want to see something really cool, look at the front end a regular (meaning non Hot Shot, Super Sport, or Farm-O-Road) Crosley for '51 and '52. Right from the factory they gave you a propeller mounted in the grille. And as air hits it, it spins! Plus this is not an option. It's standard equipment!

See, I told you King Midget makes Crosley look luxurious. Crosley's "spinner" can spin even without the car moving. That's luxury!

Scott

[ToyLvr]

Ah... But the King Midget did not come with those spinners from the factory. If you want to see something really cool, look at the front end a regular (meaning non Hot Shot, Super Sport, or Farm-O-Road) Crosley for '51 and '52. Right from the factory they gave you a propeller mounted in the grille. And as air hits it, it spins! Plus this is not an option. It's standard equipment!

image.jpg

See, I told you King Midget makes Crosley look luxurious. Crosley's "spinner" can spin even without the car moving. That's luxury!

Scott

The '49 had disc brakes as standard equipment (which sometimes actually worked). The later models, '49 and up (IIRC), had real roll-down windows! Fooey on King Midget. ;-)

[unclescott58]

The '49 had disc brakes as standard equipment (which sometimes actually worked). The later models, '49 and up (IIRC), had real roll-down windows! Fooey on King Midget. ;-)

The disc brakes had problem with corrosion in climates there salt was used on the roads. They were Goodyear aircraft brakes. And this was not a problem for use on airplanes. They were offer only from mid-'49 through mid-'50. Crosley then switched back to drum brakes. Chrysler also tried disc brakes on their Imperials during this same basic time period. Roll down window came on some models in '49, and with the new "Super" models starting in 1950. The standard models still retained the sliding windows.

Scott

Edited September 6, 2014 by unclescott58

[ToyLvr]

I've had this resin kit about 10 years - can't remember where I got it.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe "Star Models" (www.resinrealm.net) still offers some resin Crosley stuff.

This kit represents the '46-'48 Crosley body style, what we used to call the "Turtle shell".

This particular kit came with an interior bucket, and a chassis which has no resemblance to reality. I was figuring on adapting the frame and engine from the old MPC Jeep kit (also reissued as "Hogan's Heroes" jeep and other iterations) to give it a bit more detail.

The body casting is on the thick side, and is going to require a lot of work to smooth it out. At least it's a start....

[Tom Geiger]

I believe that's an R&R body. I have the pickup version. Ray never intended for these to be built replica stock. The chassis included with mine had dual exhaust molded into it. I don't know the source of the master either.

[ChrisBcritter]

Cute as a bug's ear. Somebody should rescue this one; looks very worthy of restoration (or just buff it up and leave it original):

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4646941029.html

[southpier]

there was one in dragster garb at the Ty-Rods show yesterday, so they're not forgotten.

[Tom Geiger]

Cute as a bug's ear. Somebody should rescue this one; looks very worthy of restoration (or just buff it up and leave it original):

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4646941029.html

Wow! That is a nice one. Doesn't appear to be all rotted out or anything. Too bad it's on the wrong coast, I'd be tempted. Heck if it's 10' long or less, it would fit on the same side of my garage in front of my Tracker!

[Chuck Most]

If you're reading this now you've missed it, but I just saw a re-run of "Call of the Wild Man" on Animal Plan it- in it, the "Turtle Man" removes a colony of rats from an abandoned Crosley wagon.

[Harry P.]

Well, we had a Crosley radio. One of my relatives had a Crosley refrigerator. And within the last few years, I had a Crosley turntable/tape player/CD recorder that was returned for two different models and never worked. Same manufacturer as the car.

I had no idea Crosley made those things!

[Harry P.]

Wow. That is super clean! Nice!

[Cato]

An LS-7 would fit perfectly in there................

[Tom Geiger]

I had no idea Crosley made those things!

Yes, Crosley was an appliance maker who decided to go for the big time and become an auto manufacturer in the days right after World War II when anything new on wheels sold quickly due to the pent up demand for vehicles after the war. Same reason Henry Kaiser tried. Both did okay until the demand subsided.

[Harry P.]

Yes, Crosley was an appliance maker who decided to go for the big time and become an auto manufacturer in the days right after World War II when anything new on wheels sold quickly due to the pent up demand for vehicles after the war. Same reason Henry Kaiser tried. Both did okay until the demand subsided.

Interesting. I knew Kaiser was into all sorts of consumer goods, didn't realize Crosley was, too.

[unclescott58]

Yes, Crosley was an appliance maker who decided to go for the big time and become an auto manufacturer in the days right after World War II when anything new on wheels sold quickly due to the pent up demand for vehicles after the war. Same reason Henry Kaiser tried. Both did okay until the demand subsided.

Just for clarity. Crosley became an automaker before the war. They started offering cars in 1939. You can see one in the first posting on this tread. The prewar Crosleys were smaller than the postwar models. They were powered by an air-cooled two-cylinder Waukesha engine. It was only 38.87 cubic inches, and 13-1/2 horsepower. Prices started at $325 for the basic convertible coupe. Despite Canonball Baker driving one from Cincinnati to Los Angeles on only $9.41 worth of gas, averaging 50.4 mpg, Americans were not interested in the car. Crosley sold less than 4500 car in the four years leading up to the war. The new postwar Crosley sold almost 5,000 cars in 1946 alone. By the way, the prewar Crosley as small as it is, is still bigger than a King Midget. Not a lot bigger. But, still it is bigger.

Scott

[unclescott58]

Interesting. I knew Kaiser was into all sorts of consumer goods, didn't realize Crosley was, too.

On this Harry, Kaiser was not into consumer goods like Crosley, before they built cars. They were big into gravel and construction. They built things like the Hoover Dam. During World War II they got into mass producing Liberty ships. Henry Kaiser's success with this venture made him think he knew how to mass produce anything, including cars. He did not. And we all know how that turned out. After the war, Kaiser moved into other things, diversifying the company. But before the war they had very little to do with direct consumers.

Scott

[Tom Geiger]

Just for clarity. Crosley became an automaker before the war. They started offering cars in 1939. You can see one in the first posting on this tread. The prewar Crosleys were smaller than the postwar models. They were powered by an air-cooled two-cylinder Waukesha engine. It was only 38.87 cubic inches, and 13-1/2 horsepower. Prices started at $325 for the basic convertible coupe. Despite Canonball Baker driving one from Cincinnati to Los Angeles on only $9.41 worth of gas, averaging 50.4 mpg, Americans were not interested in the car. Crosley sold less than 4500 car in the four years leading up to the war. The new postwar Crosley sold almost 5,000 cars in 1946 alone. By the way, the prewar Crosley as small as it is, is still bigger than a King Midget. Not a lot bigger. But, still it is bigger.

Scott

Yea, yea, yea... follow me around the Internet fixing my bumbling posts! You are right, Crosley tried manufacturing cars prior to WWII and wasn't all that successful at it. They were selling them right in their appliance showrooms.From 1939 to 1942 Crosley built 5,757 automobiles. Production was interrupted by WWII and Crosley did what the government needed, producing components for Walkie-Talkies Radios, IFR Radio guidance equipment, Air Supply units for Sperry Bombsites (used in B-24s), Air conditioning units, Martin PBM Mariner bow gun turrets and 1/4 ton trailers. The gun turret was the largest contract.

After the war their vehicles remained in production until 1953 producing another 84,844.

[Greg Myers]

Tom, is there anything you don't know about ?

[unclescott58]

One other thing about Kaiser. Henry Kaiser's dream was not to build the big Kaiser and Frazer automobiles they offered right after war. Like Powell Crosley, he felt America's needed a small cheap car. And he was the one to build it. Whether American's wanted it or not, was another question. Both Ford and Chevrolet looked at building small cars after the war too. But, both found it cost almost as much at the time to build a small as it did a big one. And looking at market, they realizing American's were not really interested in small, cheap cars. The compact Ford design was sent to France to be build there. The Chevy Cadet was just dropped. Never to see the light of day.

But, Henry Kaiser was going to have his small car no matter what anybody, including what his automotive partner Frazer, had to say about it. At one point, it came time to name this new little compact car. They held a nation wide contest to come up with a name. By the way, before we tell you winning name, you should know that Henry Kaiser's middle initial is J. What a surprise! The winning name was Henry J! Really!? Sorry to say so, but yes.

Kaiser had two options at the time they were developing the Henry J. One they could spend their money tooling up for the Henry J. Or two, they could spend their money on tooling up a modern V8 engine their engineers had designed. They could not afford both. Let's see? Try to sell small cheap cars like Bantam and Crosley tried before. That didn't seem to make big money for those two companies. Or go the Oldsmobile route and build big fast cars with a modern designed OHV V8s? Which do we do?..... Aw, Henry Kaiser knows more about what America wants than those big automotive experts out of Detroit. After all he had built the Hoover Dam and Liberty ships for the government when people thought it couldn't be done. Henry J Kaiser is never wrong. Now you know why we are driving new Kaisers and Henry Js today (and Bantams, Crosleys, and Hudson Jets, etc).

Scott

Edited September 10, 2014 by unclescott58

[ToyLvr]

Gents:

As a kid who grew up in the Cincinnati area, let me tell you that Crosley is still revered here. The old man and his brother Lewis were mad genius, pure and simple.

I highly recommend the book "Crosley" by Rusty McClure for your amusement and education.

The best way I can describe their creativity and business acumen is to compare them to the modern-day "Apple".

Sadly, the car manufacturing venture didn't work out, which is unfortunate since Powel Crosley was a car nut at heart.

But everything else, from radios to appliances to military equipment to ownership of the Cincinnati "Reds", Crosley was king.

The rights to the Crosley name was sold off sound 1976. That's the "Crosley" you hear of these days. This modern junk is nothing compared to the technology and quality of the "real" Crosley back in the day....

[unclescott58]

Yea, yea, yea... follow me around the Internet fixing my bumbling posts! You are right, Crosley tried manufacturing cars prior to WWII and wasn't all that successful at it. They were selling them right in their appliance showrooms.From 1939 to 1942 Crosley built 5,757 automobiles. Production was interrupted by WWII and Crosley did what the government needed, producing components for Walkie-Talkies Radios, IFR Radio guidance equipment, Air Supply units for Sperry Bombsites (used in B-24s), Air conditioning units, Martin PBM Mariner bow gun turrets and 1/4 ton trailers. The gun turret was the largest contract.

After the war their vehicles remained in production until 1953 producing another 84,844.

That's not my goal Tom, to follow you around the Internet fixing your "bumbling posts". I just enjoy topics like this so much. And I look at it as me adding my "bumbling posts" on to yours. The things you post are great. The info you pass on is great. But I hope your like me, and enjoy it when somebody can add something interesting facts to complete the story. I'm obsessed with history. Mainly automotive. And sometimes get too carried away sharing what I know.

Scott

Edited September 10, 2014 by unclescott58