CROSLEY AUTOMOBILE CLUB
WEST COAST REGIONAL MEET
SUTTER CREEK, SEPTEMBER 8, 2012
The Crosley Automobile Club (CAC) is pleased to announce that they will be holding their annual West Coast Regional Club Meet on Saturday, September 8, 2012 in Sutter Creek, California. The club will host a large display of Crosley cars at the end of Main Street in Sutter Creek from 9AM to 3PM. Over 20 of these rare cars will be on display at the show, making this the largest gathering of Crosley autos West of the Mississippi.
What's a Crosley? Crosley Motors was an American automobile manufacturer headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1939 - 1952. Lead by radio pioneer Powell Crosley, the company produced over 75,000 vehicles, including sedans, station wagons, convertibles, pick up trucks, SUVs, sports cars and even the jeep-like Farm-O-Road. No matter what style, all Crosleys were TINY. In contrast to most cars of their time, Crosleys were small - today they are referred to as 'microcars.' How small were they? The largest Crosley weighed under 1500 pounds and was only about 2/3 the size of a VW Beetle!
The Crosley Automobile Club has been showcasing these tiny American autos since 1969. The West Coast Regional Group was formed in 1986 and is currently the largest regional Crosley Club group in the country, with members in all Western states. The annual West Coast Meet is held at a different place each year and this will be the first time that the Meet has ever been held in the Sierra Nevada Gold Country.
Local interest: Longtime Club member Marty Stein lives in Jackson, CA and will be showing his 1952 Siata Crosley racecar. Stein has meticulously restored this historic sports car and has competed with it in vintage racing events across the country. Siatas, nicknamed 'Baby Ferraris,' show a unique side of Crosley history - they were Italian-made sports cars which used a Crosley engine for power!
Fun Crosley Facts:
· In 1939 you could buy a new Crosley at Macy's department stores
· 1946-48 Crosleys featured an engine block made of welded sheet metal
· A fully-equipped 'tin block' engine weighed under 200 pounds and produced 26.5 HP
· The first Datsuns built after WWII were near-identical copies of a 1946 Crosley
· The 1948 Mooney Mite airplane used a Crosley engine
· In 1947, Crosley was the world's largest producer of steel-bodied station wagons
· In 1949 Crosley offered disc brakes on all cars - the first US automaker to do so
· The 1949 Crosley Hot Shot was the first American production sports car, debuting five years before the Chevrolet Corvette
· A showroom-stock Crosley Hot Shot won the 1950 Sebring International Auto Race
· Italian automakers, including Siata, Nardi and Bandini used Crosley engines in their cars
· From 1959-63 the San Diego-based Crofton Company offered a revised Farm-O-Road called a Crofton Bug
See YOU There!
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