Past Crosley of the Month Winners - Page 16

Paul Gorrell of Iowa posted this picture on FaceBook and I couldn't help myself, I had to steal it for our first Crosley of the month for 2019. Since there are so many Crosley's, I changed the usual format for Crosley of the month and only used one view but wide angle. You can get a slightly larger version by clicking on the image. Paul labeled the picture " Where's Waldo? (Shirley)", his very understanding wife. You could also make it a guessing game of how many Crosley cars and other Crosley products are in Paul's Barn. Sorry no prizes for either contest.

Jim Allan of Ohio sent these snaps of his hardtop CC sedan recently from a mid winter outing.

He wrote - "Who says you can't drive a Crosley through the snow?  Getting stuck isn't too bad."

Duane Gorrell of Iowa has most of the parts he needs to put together one of the rarer of the Crosley variants. This one flies, or at least did at one time. 1948 Mooney M18 Mite with Crosley engine. Here is another angle. The first 10 (plus one that was a prototype) were made. All were recalled back to Mooney Mite is Wichita, Kansas and had the Crosley engine replaced with Lycoming engines after they started breaking crank’s.

First thing you notice is the huge distributor with 8 spark plug wires, that is because it has spark plugs on both sides with a trick rotor to fire two plugs at once. Here is the engine tag. They ran the propeller through multi V belts off the back of the engine. When you tighten that belt it puts a big load on the already fragile crank with no outboard bearing to carry the load. Here is a factory photo of the plane in flight and the engine mounted in the plane.

Matt Hellberg, of Iowa, believes his grandfather bought this 39 Convertible new (he had two). He is helping his Dad get it back in shape for show and go.

He recently got it running but is having carb issues, hopefully a good cleaning/rebuild will help. Here it is after it's first bath in 30 years.

April 28th was the 80th anniversary of the unveiling of the Crosley automobile at the Indianapolis Speedway. From dates on photos it apparently was a multi day affair, the above photo was dated May 1st.

Here is Brother Lewis, Powel and Powel's Grandson/Son Lew at the big announcement day at Indy. Don't miss the big celebration at the Nationals this year.

Crosley Automobile Club has come a long ways in 50 years. Founded in 1969 by John Aibel and a simple letter to the editor of Roas & Track asking if anyone knew of the location of Le Mans Crosley and from the responses a club was formed. The first meet in NJ in 1970 had 2 cars, 4 cars at 1972 meet in Maumee Ohio and the above turn out at our first year in Wauseon in 1973 14 cars. 2019 the 50th year of CAC should have the largest turn out ever, well over 100 cars are expected. Don't miss it.

Cars and owners from left to right are: 1 - Al Holsopple 51 Station Wagon, 2 - Deane Sherman 48 Sedan, 3 - Jim Bollman 52 Super Sport, 4 - John Holsopple 52 FOR,  5 - Jim Welter 51 Sedan, 6 - Glen Oches 50 Hot Shot, 7 - Al Holsopple 52 FOR, 8 - Dave Stamper 50 Hot Shot, 9 - Bernard Bahle 51 Super Sedan, 10 - Jim Batsford 49 Station Wagon, 11 - Bill Exline 51 Super Sport, 12 - Patty Stamper 50 Station Wagon, 13 - Al Holsopple, 51 FOR, 14 - John Holsopple 61 Crofton

Jeff & Kelly Gladden's (VA) 1952 FarmOroad. Jeff is regional director of CAC and president of the Keystone Region. Even though his FOR is an AACA National Senior winner he drives it all the time. This shot was taken at the Cruise-In at Wauseon Ohio that around 18 Crosleys went up to participate in during the National Meet.

Jeff cruising down the highway at the Nationals. When I decided to chose Jeff's FOR as this months CotM I had a hard time picking what pictures to use since he is everywhere at the Nationals and I have lots of pictures to chose from. One of the other thing Jeff and many other Crosley people do is give rides and let kids (and sometimes adults) sit in their Crosleys, here is one of many pictures I found.

Our 4 Youth Mechanics being interviewed for a local TV station at the 2019 Nationals. Lizzy on the right was our first and she has finished her light green CC sedan. Jackson was our 2nd(Left side) and he has finished his blue with white stripe Hotshot. Ben got his youth car last year and has it completely a part and is starting to put it back together (middle right). Lane is our latest mechanic(middle left),

Lane Williams our 4th and newest Youth Mechanic and his new project car. The car couldn't make it to the Nationals but he has already been retrieved from the member that donated it and Lane has started work on it.

Here is the Hotshot Harry Black(PA) built. Here is the story he sent me. "I am a product of the '50's, graduating from high school in 1956.  I remember in about 1952 wakling by the Kaiser /Frazer & Crosley  dealership in Uniontown, PA with 3 other friends, and  having  an encounter with a Crosley Hotshot.   This was in the days that the show room window was right along the sidewalk, and a display pad was on an outside corner of the building,  A Hotshot was sitting there facing out on about a 60 degree angle.  We each picked up a corner, turned the car around and stood their, thinking that was a better view!!  We then just walked away."

"I restored several cars over the years, but never got to a Hotshot.  Now, in retirement, I have made an all wood model with a 30" wheel base and bumper to bumper length is 47-1/2"  We have a great wood shop in the retirement community I live in and a member with a CNC machine that embossed the hubcaps and cut the "Hotshot" fender emblem. Thought you might enjoy the pictures!"

Here is a close up of the dash detail.

I always like all the Crosley garages around the Nationals, here is Al Calvin's 2 car garage

I don't know much about these pictures but have been waiting for a good time to use them. They were labeled as Howard Murrill of TN with his 51 Crosley.

He looks like a proud owner of an almost new Crosley in 1952 and thought they would be a good welcoming in for 2020.