Displayed At 1953 Concours: 1948 Crosley Race Car

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Crosley was a small, independent American car builder from 1939-52. Their products were all subcompacts, almost microcars in some cases. During World War II, their production was diverted to making Jeep-like vehicles for military use. This 1948 Crosley is said to have been a race car with a hand-built body that has glimpses of the Hot Shot as its possible donor, but that’s just a guess. It hasn’t run in a few years, so the car will need some mechanical tinkering. Located in Plainville, Connecticut, this little machine is available here on craigslist for only $3,500. Thanks, Peter Rettig, for this unusual tip!

You can’t say that Powel Crosley wasn’t an innovator, coming up with several things new to the American automobile scene. Like the first affordable, mass-market car with an overhead camshaft engine; the first to use the term “Sports Utility” to describe a vehicle; and the first convertible wagon. None of Crosley’s cars weighed more than 1,400 lbs. nor were any of their engines larger than 61 cubic inches in displacement. Production numbers never mirrored the big automakers and 1948 would be a record at just under 25,000 units of various body styles. Eventually, Crosley was unable to compete with Detroit and folded after 1952.

We’re unsure of the roots of the seller’s car as it’s said to have a hand-built body. The Crosley has a VIN and it would have been helpful if the seller had provided it to track the lineage of the auto.

This little Crosley hasn’t been started in recent years, so the seller suggests that the fuel system will need cleaning and a new battery installed. The seller is losing his storage space and that has caused the sale of the car. It does not have a title, only a Connecticut registration, and a bill of sale, but the seller is willing to deliver the car if its destination is within a reasonable distance.

The car was designed for some sort of racing and one of the photos shows a plate with engraving stating that it was shown at a 1953 Concours D’Elegance! The seller hints that some documentation will come with the car that backs all that up. It would be interesting to learn what it was doing there and where it was raced. Can any of you dig up some history on this little Crosley special?

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Comments

  1. Navajo

    I bet this could beat Charles Atlas’ 1986 White Ford Escort Pony 4 speed in a race…

    Like 6
  2. MoriniGuy

    They were raced at The Danbury Fairgrounds racetrack I think.

    Like 1
  3. JoeJ56

    Never thought I’d see the words “Crosley” and “race car” in the same sentence!

    Like 7
    • Martin M

      JoeJ56: Thank you. My thoughts exactly. It’s an oxy-moron.

      Like 2
    • Jimmy Novak

      Crosley won the Cup at the 1950 Sebring and would have won at LeMans in ’51 if the generator hadn’t quit.

      Like 2
  4. Mark Lyons

    I thought Crosleys were 2cyl air cooled. We happen to have a working Crosley refrigerator at our cabin. They made a lot of stuff.

    Like 2
    • Peter Starkey

      I bet the refrigerator was better looking !

      Like 1
  5. Raymond

    Lawnmower racing maybe… maybe once….damn copper engines….

    Like 2
  6. Iron Mistress

    Those little engines were used in hydropower racing for many years.

    Like 4
  7. bobhess bobhessMember

    The Hot Shot roadsters were pretty competitive in SCCA racing. They were getting 10,000K rpm out of the engines which overcame the low gearing of the 3 speed transmission they were required to run. This car looks like it would be too heavy to be used as a race car. Lot of extra iron hung on it.

    Like 9
  8. Elanguy

    Crosley had quite a history in racing, though primarily it was just their engines being used. But here is an almost genuine Crosley racer that brought big bucks despite the “styling” https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1951-crosley-lemans-special/

    The prettier Crosley specials from the US and Italy can be found by googling crosley race car.

    Like 6
  9. Steve Clinton

    Perfect for the ‘Lemons’ race.

    Like 0
  10. Kenn

    Body is startlingly similar to the “$500-build-your-own-sports-car” with plans from Popular Mechanics in the early 50’s. I know, ’cause I built one. Fun to build, fun to drive, wish I still had it. Or even know what happened to it after I went off to college.

    Like 4
  11. BR

    The Crosley engine was popular for a time in the marine industry. Maybe you’ve heard of the “Bearcat 55”.

    http://crosleyautoclub.com/EngineTree/Crosley_Eng_Tree-4.html

    Like 0
  12. BR

    The Crosley engine was actually a Fageol, but y’all knew that, right?

    https://www.discount-marine-parts.com/ob_fageol.html

    Like 0

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