I have always loved history and thinking of my Crosley as a little time machine I could drive. I wonder what it was like in the 40s using these as real transportation. Can anyone tell me what it was like driving their Crosley? Comparisons to modern cars?
Right after the war, my mom and I would pick up newspapers from friends and family members about once a month and take them to a salvage depot for extra money and was my first paying job. Did this in a Crosley wagon. It'd be loaded to the top with reclaimable paper. Steel coat hangers were of value also. They'd get you in the Saturday matinee too.
Crosley's were very practical, especially around town. One got run over by a fire truck as it speed out of the fire station in Waterville Maine. Squashed it like a bug. As a comparison to modern cars? Both had two head lights. That's bout it.
OK, I wax nostalgic. We walked about a mile to elementary school. When in third grade one rainy day a neighbor gave us a ride in his '51 Super Hotshot. He'd blown up the engine at less than 700 miles & someone named Hepenstahl installed a Ford V8 60. The ride was a thrill I've never forgotten. Around '58 a neighbor had just bought a sporty Chevy when his uncle showed up with family in their Crosley CD station wagon. They'd traveled from Ohio to Eastern PA in the car. At 16 a '52 Crosley station wagon was available & I bought it for $25. When my mom found out she made me sell the car. I pulled the engine & a Hepenstahl (Small world Huh?) bought the car from me. Even though the Crosley ran well when I took the engine apart I discovered the rings were broken into dozens of pieces. As I've gotten older & nuttier, Crosley Hotshots & parts have filled our garage. Modern cars dot the driveway but the Crosleys are safe. Ain't love wonderful?
On the way home from getting my sedan in the back of my pickup, I went through the drive thru at McDonald's. The girl asked what was in the bed of my truck. Crosley I said, they used them as observation cars in the Civil War! Which side she asked. The winning side Duh!