Crosley and Crosley Motors: An Illustrated History of America's First Compact Car and the Company that Built It
Crosley and Crosley Motors: An Illustrated History of America's First Compact Car and the Company that Built It
ITEM E473
By Michael Banks
From Powel Crosley’s original “back-of-the-napkin” drawing of his car concepts in 1937 to the plant closing in 1952, this is a fascinating tale of American entrepreneurship and an in-depth, illustrated history of America’s first compact car. The low-cost, gas-saving vehicle was twenty years ahead of its time and introduced a variety of innovations including disc brakes, the Cobra engine that revolutionized lightweight power engineering, and fuel economy that would be the envy of any manufacturer today. Of special note are the more unusual products Crosley manufactured, including tracked vehicles, motorcycles, and amphibious vehicles. Also included are production figures, an overview of the many applications for Crosley’s COBRA and CIBA engines, and some never before published facts and photos.
Softbound, 246 illustrations, 8.5”x11”, 128 pages
Author Michael Banks explained his purpose was “to provide a solid history of Crosley Motors and the Crosley automobile.” That also meant taking the measure of the man most famous for the small Crosley cars and trucks that bore his name—Powel Crosley Jr.—who looms large as an innovator and promoter. The book’s first two chapters review his many achievements, including the Crosley Radio Corp. to build radios and the Cincinnati, Ohio, radio station WLW. You can thank him for the shelves in your refrigerator door; his Crosley Shelvador pioneered this feature. His controlling interest in the Cincinnati Reds baseball team included the team’s renamed Crosley Field. All of this is a prelude to the book’s chronologically based coverage starting with the development and debut of the “Car of Tomorrow” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 20, 1939, through to the end of production on July 3, 1952. The engagingly written story includes more than cars. Through the years, the automobile-based Crosley lineup consisted of some vintage trucks including a Pick-Up, Station Wagon, and various Panel and Sedan Delivery models. The heavily illustrated softbound book uses 246 black-and-white and color illustrations to effectively enhance the book’s informative narrative.
Book Review by Robert Gabrick
