1924 Crossley 14Hp Tourer

Description

The Crossley Brothers established a business in Manchester in 1867 manufacturing pumps, presses and small steam engines, success coming in 1876 when they began building a new four-stroke engine under licence from Otto and Langden of Germany. By the turn of the century the company had branched into building cars and a notable feature was their adoption of an early production line system. Crossley emerged from the Great War in good financial shape, having supplied a military version of the 20/25 in enormous numbers, and through the 1920s a range of high quality cars were marketed in small numbers, some of which found their way to the Colonies, including Australia. Notably, Crossley also produced the Bugatti Brescia under licence for the British market in the late 1920s. In 1923 Crossley introduced two new models, a large touring car designated the 19.6hp (which enjoyed Royal patronage from the Prince of Wales) and a smaller model, the 14hp. Equipped with a side-valve, monobloc four-cylinder engine displacing 2.3-litres, the 14hp drove through a three-speed centre-change gearbox and had semi-elliptic suspension all round. Early models had two-wheel brakes only but from 1925 four-wheel braking was made standard. The 14hp had a simpler, flatter radiator than the less conventional item that typefied the larger Crossley models and was described by The Autocar as being "? staunch, comfortable and economical". Indeed, a top speed of 54mph was possible depending on the type of coachwork fitted. Some 5,600 14hp Crossleys were manufactured in the period 1923-1927 and those that survive are ably catered for by The Crossley Register in England and closer to home, the VSCCA.