The Crosley automobile was the brain child
of Powel Crosley, who had already made his fortune
as a radio and appliance manufacturer, owner
of WLW the "Nation's Station" and
the Cincinnati Reds baseball team.
Crosley set
up an engineering facility in Cincinnati Ohio,
with assembly of the cars taking place in Richmond
Indiana (Crosley Corporation) from 1939 to 1942,
and then Marion Indiana (Crosley Motors) from
1946 to 1952.
The company was eventually sold to General Tire in 1952, they soon halting production, although sporadic efforts
were made to acquire the automotive tooling
and fixtures to resume production, these efforts
were all in vain.
1939 - 1942
Perhaps one of the strangest vehicles to come out of the
US of A was the Crosley, a sub compact car that began
life in 1939 and survived until 1952. What was so unique
about the Crosley was its humble design, based very much
on the small sub-compact cars from Europe, and built in
a country where the traditional sedans bonet was longer
than this little car. More>>
1946 - 1952
After WWII the 1946 model Crosleys were introduced. Known
as the "Roundside", Crosley modified the body
work by creating a more square and modern look. But the
biggest improvement to the little car was the implementation
of an overhead cam 4 cylinder engine. While the prices
went up marginally, the Crosley remained America's cheapest
car, and in some respects became a leader in innovation. More>>
