Vehicle Description
Powel Crosley Jr's impact on the American automobile business is
far more significant than his diminutive cars might suggest.
Crosley cars were decades ahead of their time, and Powel led his
eponymous car company to many notable industry "firsts," including
the first mass-produced overhead-cam engine, the first post-war
American sports car, and the first production car with four-wheel
disc brakes. Despite domestic buyers' general indifference toward
compact cars, Crosley persevered long enough to peak at nearly
30,000 units per year in the late 1940s. High-revving Crosley
engines were surprisingly powerful for their size and dominated
several 750cc sports and Formula Junior categories throughout the
1950s. In 1950, the SCCA sanctioned the first racing event at an
abandoned airbase in Sebring, Florida. The inaugural Sam Collier
Memorial Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance was a six-hour event,
based on a complex handicap system meant to balance the field
regardless of engine size, called the "Index of Performance." Vic
Sharpe was in attendance with his new 726 cc Crosley Hotshot, which
was a last-minute entry after his friends suggested the handicap
could favor its tiny displacement. With Fritz Koster and Ralph
Deshon sharing the driving duties, the Hotshot ran a steady,
consistent race, screaming down the back straight at 7,500 RPM but
not missing a beat for the entire six hours. After the
calculations, the tiny Crosley won overall, scoring a surprise
victory against a field of Ferraris, Aston Martins, and Allards.
Crosley's upset win caused more than a few raised eyebrows in
racing circles, including two friends, Phil Stiles and George
Schrafft. Stiles was the first race chairman and course designer at
Sebring, and he worked with Schrafft in the imported car business.
Over a couple of what Stiles described as "pretty violent"
martinis, the two joked about the Crosley upsetting the might of
the Allards and Cunninghams. During their chat, Stiles' wife
suggested they could contest the Index of Performance at the 24
Hours of Le Mans as a Works effort - only she wasn't joking. In a
brief and likely sobering moment, Schrafft and Stiles figured they
could indeed bring a humble little Crosley to the most famous and
grueling motor race in the world, and this remarkable racing car
would soon be born. Stiles and Schrafft faced two obvious barriers
from the get-go. They not only needed a car, but they also required
official entry into the race. Stiles put his French language skills
to good use and crafted a letter to the Automobile Club de l'Ouest
claiming to represent Crosley Motors. Concurrently, they sent a
letter to Crosley stating they'd secured a slot at Le Mans for a
works entry, and all that was needed was the factory's blessing.
Somehow, both sides of the scheme worked. French organizers were
eager for another American team and welcomed their entry, and Lewis
M. Crosley appointed Schrafft and Stiles as official
representatives of Crosley Motors for the Le Mans 24 hour race. Now
all they needed was a car. Unlike the relatively standard Sebring
car, the Le Mans Crosley is a considerably more sophisticated,
purpose-built racing car. Stiles and Schrafft hired legendary Indy
car and midget builder Floyd "Pop" Dreyer of Indianapolis to create
lightweight bodywork and revised suspension. Fresh from Dreyer's
shop, the pair hauled the car to Cincinnati, where Crosley
installed a new, high-performance engine. According to Stiles,
Powel Crosley told them they could run it to 7,500 rpm for 24 hours
with confidence, but suggested they don't shift gears since he had
little faith in the Borg-Warner 3-speed gearbox! Arriving in
France, the Crosley team must have felt more than a bit
under-prepared compared to the highly professional Cunningham
squad. After all, aside from their car, Stiles and Schrafft had
only their female companions, a suitcase full of spares and tools,
and one friend to help with wrenching duties. During scrutineering,
they overheard a spectator with an American accent in the crowd and
hired him on the spot to help crew the car. While testing, Stiles
deemed the headlights woefully underpowered, so they added a pair
of powerful Marchal units, but the Marchal generator was not up to
the task. At the last minute, Schrafft arranged for his girlfriend
to go to Paris to collect a more robust American generator. But she
ran into a bit of trouble after spending all the train fare he gave
her and getting stranded - with the desperately needed new
generator - at a Paris station. With the race underway, the Jaguar
C-Types, Ferrari 166s, and Cunningham C2Rs sped off into the
distance, but much to the surprise and delight of the French fans,
the tiny, slightly awkward little Crosley managed to lap
consistently at an impressive 73mph. Phil and George took Powel
Crosley's advice to heart, leaving the car in top gear and chucking
it around corners, dirt-track style. The midget-racer rear tires -
chosen for their larger diameter to raise the final drive -suited
the sideways driving style. After six hours of trouble-free
running, entertaining the crowds, and challenging for the class
lead, disaster struck. The bearings on the worrisome Marchal
generator seized in spectacular fashion, causing the bracket to
snap and the whole unit to twist on itself, crossing wires and
starting a fire. Using the passenger seat cushion as a shield,
Stiles limped back to the pits for service. Unfortunately, the
generator shaft of the Crosley CIBA engine also drove the water
pump, and it had snapped. The crew hastily bypassed the pump,
hoping that gravity and airflow would keep it running, but their
efforts were in vain, and at 9 PM, the little Crosley ground to a
halt for the final time, with the French fans letting out an
audible sigh of disappointment. While this could have easily been
the end of the story of this extraordinary little car, the
ever-determined Phil Stiles wasn't ready to head home. After the
race, he repaired the water pump and generator and set off on a
cross-continental adventure with his wife. A hand-written note in
the history file tracks their incredible journey across France,
Switzerland, Italy, and back again - all in the open cockpit,
55-horsepower Crosley racer. On their way back through France, they
stumbled upon the Alpine Rally, and cheekily "competed" in a few
stages, no doubt confusing the organizers in the process! Despite
plans to return to Le Mans, the spirited Crosley team never
returned to the French Classic. In a January 1952 letter, Powel
Crosley admitted sales were down, and the automobile division was
losing money, so the resources to support a race team were no
longer available. After a couple of appearances in regional events
in the 1950s, the Crosley quietly retired but stayed on the radar
of dedicated enthusiasts, including the previous owner. He founded
the Crosley Automobile Club in 1969 and, in the late 1980s, finally
acquired the Crosley racer he chased for so many years. As he found
it, the Pops Dreyer body was untouched (his badge is still on the
cowl), and the drivetrain was in 1952 spec, shortly after being
converted to a 4-speed Fiat gearbox. With some minor preparation,
the new caretaker raced it extensively in VSCCA events in the East.
It retains its official logbook, with entries spanning from 1986 to
2007. He reported the car to be delightful to drive, with
exceptional handling, particularly on tight circuits like the
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Minor modifications include a
twin-choke Weber downdraught carburetor, although period
single-choke carbs are included. Aside from a few concessions for
safety, the car is remarkably original condition - down to the
Crosley hubcaps and Marchal headlamps fitted in France.
Accompanyi...for more information please contact the seller.
