Crossley

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Crossley | Pre War British Sports Cars


A very interesting high-performance light car was produced by the makers of the Invicta, and christened the Comet. It never really got into the production stage, only prototypes being made around 1936 - 1937. The 1203-c.c. (63.5 x 95-mm.) four-cylinder power unit had overhead valves, operated by dural rockers and pushrods. Wet cylinder liners were employed, and the engine gave the satisfac­tory figure of 46 b.h.p. at 5,500 r.p.m. A cross-braced chassis of considerable strength was used, and the frame was underslung at the rear. Independent front springing was a feature, helical springs employing wishbones and built-in shock absorbers, the entire suspension assembly being a particularly neat job. Standard gear ratios were 4.5, 6.44, 10.8 and 18.54 to 1, and cruising speed was 50-55 m.p.h. The Comet was not intended as a purely sporting vehicle, but there is no doubt that, had the car been properly developed, it would have carried on the tradition of the old Invicta sports cars.

A twin-top four-speed gearbox was standardised, but a self- changing unit could be fitted as an extra. The latter was eventu­ally featured as a standard fitting. The Crossley was noted for the excellence of its finish, and few sports cars in the 10-h.p. class could compare with the handsome Regis sports-tourer, which appeared at the 1934 Scottish Show. At a time when the market was being flooded with "specialised" coachwork, it was gratify­ing to see that a manufacturer could produce a standard vehicle which was comparable with the most expensive types. It was indeed unfortunate for sports-car enthusiasts that the Crossley concern decided to devote their whole time to the production of commercials. The reputation they achieved for first-class workmanship in a comparatively short time, as regards the manufacture of light cars, would have resulted in some really high-grade sports cars.
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