Photos by the author.
Beyond being cute, the Crosley station wagon was a noteworthy vehicle that was literally decades ahead of its time. While its diminutive size against all the large cars that ruled the road made it an outcast back in the 1940s and 1950s, in today’s world it would be welcomed with open arms. It’s actually larger than a Smart car (what isn’t?), and about the same size as a Toyota Yaris, but stylistically far more distinctive.
When Crosely introduced its station wagon for the 1940 model year it was priced at just $450. This was the same year that Crosley cars were dubbed “The Car of Tomorrow” at the 1939 New York’s Worlds Fair.
Two-cylinder 580cc engine was very small, and could be lifted up by a single person. It produced just 12 horsepower.
The engines that Crosley powered their cars with was built by Waukesha of Wisconsin, and was called the Model 150 Cub Twin. It was a two-cylinder air-cooled flathead engine that displaced 580cc and produced a mere 12 horsepower. Its wheelbase was just 80 inches in length, which isn’t much longer than the average kitchen table, yet the car itself was well constructed, albeit simply constructed.
Exterior brightwork was limited to the bumpers, hood ornament and the headlamp bezels. The front and rear side windows on both sides were made up of two pieces of sliding glass. Wood construction was a combination of oak framing and maple insert panels. The top rear door flipped upwards while the bottom door hinged downward.
This particular Crosley wagon is owned by renowned Crosley collector Paul Gorrell of Burlington, Iowa. He found this wagon about 37 years ago when it was going through a junkyard in upstate New York. It had been stripped of most of its parts but being the Crosley collector that he had already been, he had many of the parts back home to restore it so he dragged it out of the junkyard and saved it for when the time was right to restore it. In the end, Paul waited 32 years to restore the Crosley wagon, but once he got started on it he completed its restoration in just six months. If you want to read the entire story on this Crosley’s restoration see the February 2012 issue of Hemmings Classic Car, issue #89, for all the details.
To learn more about the history of Crosley cars, trucks and farm vehicles, visit the club’s informative website: crosleyautoclub.com.
Metal instrument panel consisted of a 60 MPH speedometer, oil pressure gauge on the left and an amperes gauge on the right.
Interior with its rubber floor covering is roomier than you think, while the large diameter steering wheel made steering a breeze. There was only a single wiper to clean the windshield.
Interior roof was well constructed with its 21 slats running front to rear; it’s very strong.
See original article at" http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2016/01/13/americas-pint-size-woodie-wagon-of-distinction-1941-crosley/
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