1942 Crosley Convertible CB42 at Country Classic Cars
In over 50 years of existence as an independent company Crossley had an involvement.
In 1919 Crossley concluded an agreement with Willys-Overland United States for the joint production in what had been the aircraft factory led government Crossley in Heaton Chapel, Stockport.
The intention was to produce a range of cars under the Crossleys size and price of the initial production consisted of 13 9hp Overland light 4 assembled from from Canada chassis kits which British agencies were equipped gradually more and more British coins were used and from 1925 some models have a Morris Oxford engine in 1926, the model 96 Whippet was launched with a 2 3litre flathead engine Overland Six-cylinder models appeared in 1927 thus becoming Willys-Overland Palatine in 1930.
WOC was a much larger operation that Crossley parent and more than 40,000 vehicles including 7,000 trucks were made between 1919 and 1932. The problem was that the plant was able to produce ten times that number.
There was also a German branch of WOC with a factory in Berlin, one of the main products were Austin Sevens All German production seems to have been badged as Austins who took 2 commission on every sale.
Several large commercial vehicles badged as Manchesters ranges, equipped with Lycoming engines CT, and Overland Willys Overland Commercials or with engines were manufactured in 1926 and the Garford small vans from 1920 to 1924.
Also in the complex range of products were manufactured Knight sleeves cars and sold valved as Willys-Knights.
In 1931 WOC was in serious financial trouble The 1929 crash in America had virtually ceased the US sales, the Whippet was not selling and Bedford were hard competition against profitable trucks Manchester in 1932 Crossley Motors severed its ties with Willys Overland and continued WOC activities on its own financial problems, but continued and in August 1933 the company went into voluntary liquidation because of Crossley Motors participation in WOC effect on the parent company was severe with a third of Crossley balance having to be written off.
The WOC history is full of ifs 9hp The AJS was done in Stockport factory in 1931 was a good car and the right for the market at the time if the Whippet was more suitable for the European market ups and downs in sales could have let the company continue to AJS took off If success on the finances of Crossley engine was not so serious it would have been more development money for cars and buses and where all the WOC parties.
For more information about Willys Overland is available on the Registry website at Willys Overland Knight.
Willys Overland Crossley Model 91 or 92 Tourer, with what is probably a chapel body Heaton Photo - John Warburton in Manchester preserved Model B truck Photo - Peter Caunt.
The Manchester based company Avro was in financial difficulties after the end of wartime orders against Crossley Motors had more orders so that the space in 1920 takeover was held for three years was completely AVRO occupied building body for Crossley and renovation of 20 thousand 25 s released by the RAF in 1919 AVRO announced its intention to enter the automotive light predict sales of 100 per week it was the post optimism war and only about 100 AVRO cars were made with different motors around the waist of 1300cc but also five radial cylinders Its unique feature is an integral wooden frame and frame coated with aluminum in 1922, Roe AV, still shareholder met a RO Harper who had developed a small 3 wheeled scooter motor vehicle as these went into production between 1922 and 1924 can be seen in Mus ed Manchester Science and Industry cars were a complementary activity and the side of the aircraft company flourished with hundreds being primarily hunter 504, later used as a trainer and heavy Aldershot Bombardier 549 two Cierva autogyro AVRO have also had to be sold to Armstrong-Siddeley in 1926 to pay for the increasing losses suffered by concern Willys-Overland Crossley.
Part of Crossley Brothers not Crossley Motors, but for some time a range of Crossley brand tractors were available.
HP Saunderson founded his tractor Saunderson and society in Bedford in 1890 after visiting Canada and see the Massey and Harris companies In 1898 Saunderson showed a mobile self vehicle at a trial held at the Royal Lounge where n 'unfortunately has to finish due to engine failure has been priced at ВЈ250 but it is not known if any were sold Nevertheless, in early 1900 the production of multi-purpose three-wheeled tractors was during 1910 and four-wheel model joined the lineup Some of them were powered by engines Crossley early conventional tractors of the Great war were produced in time for the sales boom caused by the shortage wartime -d'œuvre and for a short time Saunderson were bigger Britain tractor manufacturers This success was not to last the 1920 agricultural stagnation has hit sales of tractors and all manufacturers and in 1924 Saunderson was looking for a buyer.
Crossley Brothers took over the company in 1922 by putting them in competition in the vehicle sector with Crossley Motors tractors were renamed Crossleys Due to the takeover Crossley has also entered into railway locomotives a year doing that work by hand Saunderson included three locomotives benzine to Beswicks Limeworks of Hindlow, Derbyshire Bedford plant continued in service for many years to make small stationary engines and agricultural machinery has been sold in the mid 1930 and became known as Bedford Plow and plant engineering continues to operate until the 1970s.
A G Saunderson model 1914 tractor is kept in the museum of Grampian Transport which is located in Alford near Aberdeen and a 1916 model is exposed in Rutland County Museum in Oakham, Rutland.
AJ Stevens Wolverhampton are most known for motorcycles, but between 1929 and 1933 they also produced 3300 cars tourer and sedan 9hp with an engine of 1018cc Coventry Climax side valve in 1931, the company was reorganized and motor cycle production moved to London the automotive sector was bought by Crossley and moved to Willys-Overland-Crossley factory in Heaton Chapel, Stockport About 300 were built between 1931 and 1932 a 12hp was also designed with a 1496 engine Coventry Climax and built prototypes for the motor Show 1932 modified with the body Crossley Torquay.
Although Streamline Cars Ltd had no formal link with the Crossley company, their products should be the basis of the model Crossley Streamline.
Sir Dennistoun Burney, towards the end of his time in Howden, East Yorkshire working on the R100 airship, turned his interest in aerodynamics and streamlining of cars and a Maidenhead factory produced 12 teardrop-shaped cars from 1929 and 1933 with a finish in royal blue was provided in 1931 to the Prince of Wales No two were the same and they were also designed as showcases for his ideas that serious production design elements was rear engine using a variety of power plants and independent suspension all around, hydraulic brakes and the frame construction of the spare tire area was conducted in one of the doors Burney tried to interest several manufacturers including Bentley and Rolls Royce to make its cars, but those discussions failed one of the cars was taken to America on the ship of the Cunard Berengaria exposed in the first s go to class to eat.
Crossley took some of his ideas and in 1934 produced 25 streamlines using 2 liter silver Burney used two lateral radiators on its cars, but cooling has always been problematic if Crossley used a radiator and before the Crossley classic grille with a length of 15 feet 5 inches was much shorter than the Burney is significant 7in 18ft.
At the 1921 London Motor Show, William Letts announced its intention of making a Crossley edition of 11 5 hp Bugatti Type 23 It is not known how the car was manufactured by Crossley or if they have been assembled from Molsheim kits of parts and so from parts that they were raw castings or ready to get on the end of a batch of 24 was produced They were sold between ВЈ575 for tourism chassis ВЈ800 for four seats coupГ a car was seized by Maury island in 1922 Man TT races.
Four cars with no body and parts of two others survive.
D B Madeley driving a Bugatti Crossley a Bugatti Club event of the owner in 1931 photo - David Sewell collection.
In 1950 Crossley Motors signed a contract with M. Sergent Liverpool, the UK licensee of 38cc Garelli Mosquito cyclemotor to produce their 1000 cycle engines This very successful postwar European racing engine 2 was a clip below and between the pedals of a bicycle and the rear wheel directly supplied via a drive roller He weighed only 21 lbs and was claimed to give a maximum speed of 20 mph to 4,200rpm Crossley units can be distinguished from their Continental brethren by their serial number starting CML1 and use of a British BEC carburetors.
The Mosquito Cyclemotor riding a bicycle Sunbeam Photo - George Mellish.
Companies associated with Crossley Motors, companies Crossley engines, Heaton Chapel Stockport.