Powel Crosley Jr. was an amazing businessman and visionary in the early ’20s. As soon as I learned about his story, rise to riches, and all the business ventures he was involved in (recommended reading, Crosley: Two Brothers and a business empire…) I just knew I had to have a Crosley. Pair that with an amazing car club and cult following of the Crosley cars (Crosley Automobile Club) I soon found myself submitting my Crosley Club membership application.
After a few months, I discovered a 1948 Crosley that was in Wisconsin being sold by the estate (son) of a gentleman who passed away. He put a fair amount of work into the Crosley and it was running and driveable, including a Wisconsin title along with lots of extra parts. After many chats, we made a deal and I had to arrange transport from Wisconsin.
Production started with the first car rolling off the line on May 9th, 1946. Early production was shipped without emblems because they had not arrived from the supplier yet. These models had Crosley written on the bumpers in 3-inch high red letters. Many of these early models were retrofitted with emblems at a later date. Most if not all of the 46 productions had little if any interior panels. It’s equipped with a massive 4-cyl. 44cid/26.5hp engine.
