Anyone else suddenly getting this in their feed after watching The Grand Tour?

I came here after I saw James May has lived up to his name „Captain Slow“ in his Crosley. That car is hilarious 😂

back in the early 70's, my sister had a boy friend that had a 47' Crosley. It was painted a flat green, and we called it the "PICKLE CAR" !

Thee is a family story about my mom who didn't have a driver's license until after she had married my dad. My oldest brother helped her study to get her driver's license and she wanted to surprise my dad by whipping out her license at the dinner table. Her plan didn't quite work out the way she had wanted. She took her driving test in the families 1948 Crosley, passed with flying colors, but she was so excited she yanked the parking brake at the end of her driving test, then couldn't get it to release. The driving tester couldn't do it, nobody could get the parking brake to release, so my mom had to call my dad who came over and got it released. My brother said it was a quiet dinner that evening. (I wasn't born yet, but I laugh every time my brother tells that story)

I was in the back seat two in front taking a shallow down right hander . 35 would have been a good rate, but he thought 45 would be better. Scarey ! Glad to have survived . it was the same color as yours . thanks for asking, best of luck to you !

Powell Crosley a great man and a great car !

I rode in one of these almost 70 years ago with my high school buddy Bob Leverich who played tuba in our South Bend, Indiana, Central High School band! Have liked small cars ever since!

I had a '49 wagon as a kid. My dad bought it for me to drive on our farm and it was a fun little car. The guy he bought it from was going to cut it down into a golf cart. Dad couldn't let that happen. I had fun with it for several years but I grew up and got a Mustang. Someone else bought the Crosley to restore...hope it is still around.

Grandfather had a 52 station wagon . My mother called it the doodle bug and her friends played in it . Gramps loved his little cars RIP old timer . 👆

Loved the video. In '57 I was 13 and traded a calf for a '49 wagon. Took the body off and built a wooden roadster pickup body on it. If anybody is interested, it turned 52 mph in 22 seconds at the drags. Only had 3 of the brake cables on it.

Thanks for the video, it's a great help !! I'm restoring a Crosley, it's a difficult task here in Argentina . No parts anywhere , nobody knows the mark , mechanics say "Uh??" when I tell them "Crosley" haha . Thanks again !!

Brings back memories. When I was age 12 in 1954, my Dad found a 1949 Croslely station wagon (cream color like yours) in the back acreage of a rural house and bought it for $85 for me to learn how to drive. The were able to lift out the motor with a rope. I painted the floorboard with a silver paint we had and the cardboard panels with turquoise paint my Mother had just used on our bathroom. After a short learning curve I was allowed to take some back roads for a twenty minute (yes, they were slow) drive to a country dairy where we bought our raw (unpasteurized) milk. Thanks for an excellent presentation of yours - especially the undercarriage.

I had one in 1956, my first car, a 1949 Crosley Station Wagon, bought used for $60. Drove it all over South Louisiana and averaged 45 mpg. Best top speed was 70 mph going down the Lake Charles bridge. Very difficult to slow down with the mechanical brakes. I had a great time in this little car.

Great video and wonderful car. When I was a kid, a local salvage yard had this model Crosley mounted on a tall pole to use as their sign. I always got excited as we drove down Airline Highway from New Orleans, and I couldn’t wait to spot the “Mack’s Wrecker Yard” sign.

This is all a car should be, light and simple.

The Crosley engine was used in the early Mooney Mite airplanes. Belt drive reduction if I remember right. My dad had a Crosley station wagon before I came along. He always spoke well of it. I could tell he missed it, even as a kid. He spoke of his as if it were a hot rod.

The vertical drive for the cam shaft is similar to the Rolls Royce Merlin aircraft engine of WWII fame.

Nice little car. This ride was like a going back to the 1940's . Congratulations to the owner and expert driver of this 3 speed sub compact classic., the 1947 Crosley.

I have owned five Crosley's. My last two were 1951 pickup's. I drove my last pickup on freeways and as a daily driver up to 1987 and sad to say I sold it, it was a great truck. There were several Crosley's in the small town I grew up in and I remember sitting in new ones at the dealer.

At 77, I remember my dad in the 1950's - a true odd car collector - he bought a Crosley Wagon Deluxe. It was red with "woody" trim. He then traded it for two Crosley sedans. One night on our way to a friend's house he spotted that red woody wagon with a for sale sign. We finished the trip to our friends place with TWO Crosleys, mom drove the beige sedan with dad proudly at the wheel of the wagon. We ended up with another grey wagon until one day my dad traded all four cars for two Studebakers. One time he bought all the cars from a funeral home - five 1949 Buicks...

I remember seeing Crosleys occasionally in Cuba in the 1950s.

After watching the Grand Tour Eurocrash i actually want one now

a piece of the greatest generation... i love it

Amazing little Car....Thanks very much..... Shoe🇺🇸

I saw a Crosely wagon in real life a few years back and thought someone had cut in in half length wise and made it narrower. Then I found out that was the original dimensions! Cool little car. Thanks for the info and the ride a long!

I have never heard of a Crosley in my life. I have to say I think they are really neat and this video makes me want one!

I can't tell you how many times I have considered a Crosley for a collector car, This "Rides with Chuck" gives me lots of information that I did not know, even after carefully researching Crosleys. Great video, love the drive and listening to the mechanical noises of the car at work. It is really nice to see someone capture the entire spirit of driving cars like this.

Just had this pop up as 'recommended'. A well done video covering the important stuff without getting bogged down in details or missing anything important 👍 This car is a near-perfect example of meeting design goals properly; only the first engine choice and the dropped rear footwell collecting water seem to be design flaws and the engine issue was handled most excellently. The famed Offenhauser racing engine was built much the same way. For a cheap, solid, reliable, no-frills car of that era I can't see anything which could have been done better. Even today other than safety and emissions standards the only improvements I'd make would be hydraulic brakes and shocks, synchros in the trans, and maybe a trunk lid. It seems to have been the most successful of the attempts to make a cheap basic car back in those days, being in production far longer than the others like the Bantam, Henry J (aka the "Allstate" when sold through Sears mail-order), and even the Nash Metropolitan. Only that wasn't what the masses wanted to buy at the time😞 Even now very few would give up amenities and comfort for low cost. But I can see a time coming where that will probably become a 'thing' IF someone can do it as well as Crosley did.

It looks cartoonish in a good way.And cute

The Crosley was one of the relatively quiet new cars my seven year old self would see going down the street in Massachusetts in 1949. Many older cars were generally noisy as WWII rationing caused many drivers to punch out the baffle in the muffler for a bit more gas mileage. It was the first tiny car I remember until my dad got his 1950 VW.

In southern Illinois, my crazy older brothers had one of these when I was 6. I'm 73 now. The car was in bad condition; it burned a lot of oil, and rust had made holes in the floorboards which allowed exhaust to enter. I remember it well because one day they decided to drive onto a frozen lake and do figure-eights. Of course the ice broke and the rear end sank. I was in the back seat. I don't remember how we got out, but the little car might still be there!😂

Years back I met an original owner who lived in the East San Fernando Valley. He loved it. A daily driver for him. Talked about how easy it was to keep rebuilding over the years.

Neat little car. Kids love them, I know I did when I was a kid back in the 1950's when I spotted a few in our Chicago neighboorhood. I had a 1951 Crosley Wagon back in the 1970s. (Cast Iron engine, hydraulic shocks and brakes, roll down windows) On a good day it could reach about 60- 65 mph. Engine began to sound a little "busy" at 40mph, but It would cruise ok at 45-50mph and get 40 miles per gallon. The engines continued in production for some years after the automobile production stopped in 1952. Fageol sold Crosley marine units with one used as an outboard with the modified engine standing vertically. They were also used on trucks for refrigeration units.

Back in the late fifties, there was a Crosley class hydroplane race boat. These engines were indeed able to put out a lot of horsepower and revs and the boats were extremely light so performance was very good.

Man, Crosley is an interesting brand. From music players to cars, its all amazing!

Thanks a ton for cool stuff about obscure cars like these.

Thanks for the informative video. Cheers 👍

That's a nice little car! My buddy had a 52' Chevy Panel Truck that had the single tail/brake light. I remember him always sticking his arm out of the window to hand signal left and right turns. :)

My mother had a 1952 Crosley 2 seater, Red.

My girlfriend, her mom and I are the editors of the Crosley Quarterly and are avid Crosley enthusiasts. Looking at picking up another SuperSport to add to the collection! Lol

My first car was 1947 Crosley. I bought it in Franklinton Louisiana in 1960. I just drove it on the back roads and to Enon Louisiana to go swimming in the river. On one trip to go swimming my friends and I took a shortcut thru the woods. all of a sudden the exhaust pipe came off and set the woods on fire. Lucky for us a forestry fire truck just happened to be in the area and put the fire out. I loved that car but it didn't have much power. Thank's John for the vid. It brought back a lot of good memories.

Very well presented and edited video.

In the1956 time period in Massachusetts my friends family had a crosly in their field. Us young kids Tried to drive it but we didn't know how to shift gears. I can still remember the sound of the gears grinding

The CoBra engine was actually a defense project, Powell Crosley's answer to the a call for a generator meeting certain weight limits that could meet certain power output and run at full throttle for fifty hours. It was quite successful for what it was designed to do, but its construction made it less than satisfactory for automotive use.

Dad had the mechanical brake car which failed DC city inspection so got a 1950 with hydraulic. Excellent traction going in snow due to relatively large contact patch for weight. DC dealer rolled car onto side instead of using lift. Car failed due to Powell not wanting to add a few bucks for a synchronized transmission. You can hear the clash. Gotta double clutch or time the gears by feel called match speed. Model A guys know. Restored a 50 wagon with dad in high school.

As close as I ever got was the Crosley cast iron engine and transmission my dad had in the garage when I was a kid. I never heard it run but I drove it hundreds of miles in that garage, shifting gears constantly. He had to leave it behind when we moved...such a shame. What the video doesn't make clear is how TINY that engine is.

Good car to drive to the Statue of Jesus in Swiebodzin 🇵🇱 and the Stalag Luft 3 in Zagan. Hopefully you don’t have colleagues in faster cars who would get to those places before you do.

Ah ha, my grade school had a cobra engine and transmission then, they had it back in late seventies, they would use it for science classes to show the workings of an engine,

When I was a kid in the 50's my Uncle built a field sprayer on a Crosley. The car had a very narrow wheel track and was liable to tipping. The sprayer booms stuck out about 15 feet on each side of the car. If he cornered to fast the car had a tendency to tip and the spray boom would dig into the ground keeping the car from tipping over. My uncle would just get out and grab the boom and tip the car back onto it's wheels. Fun day's growing up around Uncle Roland.

Great video. He’s right about the “HotShot” sports car, There was also the Curtis, Cunningham, Kaiser Darren, and the Nash-Healey , all predated the Corvette. 📻🙂

I owned three of these cars in the early 60's when I was a kid. I had a 48 &49 Wagon and A 52 Super Sport. They were a lot of fun.

Heck of a lot more interior room than my miata, at least in back (for the groceries). Cheers for simplicity! Isn't there a new law in the US that a specialty manufacturer can bypass fed regulations if they produce less than 400 cars?

What a GLORIOUS little "Deli Driver"!!! Not "trailer queen" perfect - but a great, good looking and perfectly functional example of some good engineering from 1947. Good on ya for preserving this little jewel. The video was great and made me grin from ear to ear!

If I remember right, those engines were used for powering refrigerant units on trucks delivering foodstuffs. That's basically all the car one would need. Narrow is cool. I presently drive a 1997 Daihatsu MOVE of which is also narrow

Wow thanks John!

Looks like my passed father in law Ray Reeds car, same color same wheels

This is a very nicely restored car. Not 100% totally correct, but very nice. Everyone that had a sheet metal block ended up replacing them with a cast iron block. For what they were, the cars ran great.

My uncle had about 25 of them in the 60s. Whe he died my aunt called me and what should I do to sell them. Put an ad in a big city news paper. A man from Miami and bought all of them. In her cellar was a red hot shot that was mint.

Very interesting, thanks Chuck.........

when I was about 12 years old ( 1959) a friend of the family had Crosley sedan and also a station wagon

What a fascinating car and video! Thanks for sharing it! An Unusual car for the US more likely to have been produced in Europe at that time! By the way greetings from the UK!

I love the old rides with Chuck episodes 💖💖💖💖 They also have great re-watchability

the light weight Crosley engines were also used in small inboard hydroplane boats raced in the early 50s on the Detroit river

They had indoor races with Crosleys in Cincinnati in the late fifties or early sixties that practically asphyxiated the audience according to my mom.

Great Video Thanks So much

I just stumbled on this video. I remember John when he worked as an instructor at Mercedes. Good to see him! I actually heard his voice and recognized it instantly! Hope he is well

Great video, thanks Chuck!

When I got interested in antique cars in the early 70's I became aware of Crosleys. Ironically my high school math teacher had one that still ran, he said people were very curious about it, received buy offers. Too bad they can't put them back into production.

Brings back memories. My Dad had the station wagon model. He also had the sports car model. I still have a family photo from 1954 with me and my sister in Dads sports car Crosley. My dad said the engine was prone to breaking crankshafts. He had sold the sports car and kept the station wagon for years. He took the engine out and it was in his garage up until he passed away back in 1992. We use to play in the that old station wagon. He let it rot away till the town made him get rid of it. I did not think the engine was worth anything so I junked it along with the original service manual. Dad kept every vehicle he owned. The back yard was a car junk yard. 1948 Studebaker Comander, 1955 Studebaker flatbread truck, 1960 DKW, 1957 Volkswagen bus, 1968 GMC carryall truck, 1955 Studebaker short bed pickup, 1965 CJ Jeep, 1945 army Jeep, and the Crosley station wagon. I was left with the chore to get rid of all the vehicles.

I had a friend that had some old cars. In late 1980s he came by my house one night in one of these. I asked him " where in the world did you get a Crosley?" He said I was the only one in the world that knew what it was.

"Why did he go with 724cc? What was wrong with, I don't know, 1 litre? James May

What a gem!

One night in '54 my brother and the neighbor boy took the boy's dad's Crosley station wagon and ran away from home. They were 13 and 14, my brother couldn't reach the pedals but a pillow behind him helped. They were gonna go from Indiana to Florida and got down into GA before they got caught stealing gas. The farmer's wife washed 'em, fed em, put 'em to bed and called the neighbor. My dad and the neighbor got there late the next day to pick 'em up. They sold the Crosley for $35.00 and brought the boys home.

Very cool little vehicles. I have a friend who owns several of these and transports them around in the back of his pickup truck. Thanks for sharing.

The carburetor looks like a Carter Model W-O, the same as was fitted to the Jeep. However, the jeep engine was 134 Cu.In., while the Crosley was 44.2 Cu In. So it seems it was quite a large carby for a little engine- good for power.

James May dislikes this video.

I've been in Powell Crosley's old office once. Got a real soft spot for these tiny cars.

It spells fun as one commented. Thanks again Chuck and John. Cheers!!!

Failed to point out the heater on the fire wall. I would love to go around the block in that.

We had a Crosley in Houston, 1948-1954. I was only nine years old in 1954 so I don't remember much about it, but it was definitely a Crosley. My Dad used it to commute to work. I think my folks sold it when we moved to Alabama rather than try to move with two cars. Or maybe they had already gotten rid of it by then.

What a neat car!

So nice

Looks like a car a nun would drive.

Wow.. very interesting and unique overhead cam engine design .

I first saw it in the book "Fins and Chrome" by John E. Dewaard. I first looked at this book when i was 5 years old, i also saw the advert for this car and i think it's amazing, there is a station wagon too!

my uncle had a crosley pu 51 i think but it was a long time ago as kids we played in it for hours on end

The Grand Tour

WOW! THANKS FOR THE INTERESTING VIDEO!

I’ve been interested in Crosleys since I saw one in a parade as a kid. It was being used as a clown car. I often find the design and engineering of cars developed under size and price constraints more interesting than that of luxury or sports cars for which cost or weight is no object.

that's some advanced crash gearbox footwork :)

Reminds me of the 'Dinkey Toys' I played with as a kid.

remember when they were numerous in Toledo area...love em

The Hotshot was way ahead of the Austin Healey Sprite too .

My uncle Virgil Wilson had three Crosley vehicles in the 1950s (a pickup, a convertible and a wagon). At that time he lived in the Yale, Michigan area and was a well known barn builder and general contractor.

Hi Chuck & John / Yes a fine small car. / Made in the USA, like the history. • Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂

I remember the "hot shot" engine, used in go carts, etc.....

Thanks, nice car.

I like how your arms overlap when driving. Pretty Safe

Back in the day, my late mother was a passenger in a Crosley which flipped over. (She was not injured.) Was the center of gravity noticeably high in these cars? She said that she felt like spam in a can.

Hey! It’s the car we all drew as kindergartners!