Chrysler

US, 1923 to date

Chrysler Corporation, Detroit, Mich.

Walter P. Chrysler, formerly of Buick and Willys, acquired Maxwell-Chalmers in 1923, and the first car to bear his name, the 6-cylinder ‘Chrysler 70’ of 1924, was something of a sensation with its 4-wheel contracting hydraulic brakes and 70mph performance. At $1645 for a Chrysler sedan, 43.000 were sold in 1925. The 1926 Chrysler range was widened to include a 3-litre 4-cylinder ‘Chrysler 58’ to replace the Maxwell and the expensive 4.7-litre 6-cylinder Chrysler Imperial, selling for $3095. The 6-cylinder roadsters offered an excellent road performance for a modest price, as was shown by their 3rd and 4th places at Le Mans in 1928, behind a Bentley and a Stutz. The 1929 Chrysler models had internal-expanding brakes and their body styling and ribbon-type radiator shells were widely imitated in Europe over the next few years.
Meanwhile Chrysler had laid the foundations for a motor empire to rival General Motors and Ford by taking over Dodge and launchin two new makes, the Plymouth Four in the lowest price sector, and the De Soto Six in a slightly higher bracket – all this in 1928. Chrysler sold 98.000 cars in 1929. The 1931 Chrysler cars featured the long, low look inspired by the Cord of 1929; 4-speed gearboxes were offered for  a short while and for the first time a brace of straight-8s featured in the Chrysler range – the medium-priced Chrysler CD, and the 6.3-litre Chrysler CG-type Imperial for the carriage trade, often with bodies by Le Baron. 1932 saw fully flexible rubber engine mountings (‘Floating Power’), automatic clutches and free wheels. Synchromesh followed a year later. Automatic overdrive was available in 1934 on Chrysler, and regular equipment by 1936. The Chrysler line for 1934 was spearheaded by the revolutionary CD-type 8-cylinder Chrysler Airflow, with welded unitary construction of chassis and body, all seats within the wheelbase, headlamps mounted flush in the wings, a full aerodynamic shape and concealed luggage accommodation. At $1345 it was a commercial failure, though it was continued till 1937. Chrysler hurriedly brought out the more conventionally styled Chrysler Airstream line in 1935, and for the next twenty years the Chrysler company’s styling policy was cautious, though technical progress is represented by the adoption of independent front suspension and hypoid rear axles (for sale in 1937), steering-column gear-change (for sale in 1939) and optional fluid drive from 1939 onward.
The 1942 Chrysler cars for sale, generally competitive with GM’s Buick, embraced two 4.1-litre sixes and three 5.3-litre eights, all side-valve, with prices from $1295 for the Chrysler Windsor to $3965 for the Chrysler Crown Imperial limousine on the 12ft 1½in wheelbase.  

Early post-war design followed the 1942 Chrysler models closely, apart from some interesting ‘Town and Country’ bodies, basically standard sedans and convertibles with wooden exterior trim in station-wagon style. In 1951, however, Chrysler broke new ground with a 5.4-litre overhead valve oversquare V8 with hemispherical heads, a fully automatic transmission and the option of hydraulic power-assisted steering. This was at the time America’s most powerful car and Chrysler engines were fitted and raced by Allard and Cunningham. Caliper disc brakes were optional, but were dropped after a few years, while another individual feature of Chrysler Corporation products was the push-button layout of controls for the automatic transmission, found on Chrysler cars made between 1956 and 1965. Chrysler’s lag in styling was painfully apparent in 1954, when the Chrysler group lay a bad third behind GM and Ford, and 1955 not only saw the retirement of the old side-valve six in favour of a 4.9-litre 188bhp V8, but also new, lower ‘Flight Sweep’ lines which put the Chrysler cars well back in the running. A new range of ‘Chrysler 300’ coupés and convertibles gave Chrysler a ‘personal car’ competitive with Ford’s Thunderbird and the 6¼-litre V8s used in the 1957 Chrysler cars developed more bhp than any of their rivals. Alternator ignition and unitary construction of chassis and body were adopted in 1960, while Chrysler, who had had a gas-turbine car running experimentally in 1954, built a series of fifty vehicles using Plymouth running gear in 1964 which were supplied to selected customers for evaluation.
The 1960s also saw the corporation extend its motor-car interests into Europe by the acquisition of majority interests in Simca of France and the Rootes Group of Great Britain. Another overseas venture was Chrysler Australia Ltd of Adelaide. Chrysler’s V8 engine was also used by Facel Vega in France, and by Bristol and Jensen in Britain. Chyrsler’s 1968 cars were all V8s in the $3300 - $4600 price class, with 6.3-litre or 7.2-litre engines. Automatic transmission was standard on the more expensive Chrysler New Yorkers and the 350bhp Chrysler 300 coupé. There were no major changes in subsequent years, though the general derating of American power units was reflected by the standardization of 5.9-litre, 6.6-litre and 7.2-litre V8 in 1972 and 1973, with outputs ranging from 175bhp to 245bhp. Between 1955 and 1967 a handful of special-bodied Chryslers, Dodges and Plymouths with Ghia coachwork were sold under the Dual-Ghia name.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS 
The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com

Crossley

GB, 1904 – 1937

(1) Crossley Brothers Ltd, Gorton, Manchester, 1904 – 1910

(2) Crossley Motors Ltd, Gorton, Manchester, 1910 – 1937

The name of Crossley was famous on engines before it was famous on cars; in fact the Crossley company was the first in Britain to make 4-stroke internal combustion engines on the Otto principle. Later, Daimler engines were made under licence. The first Crossley car for sale, a chain-driven 22hp 4-cylinder, appeared for the 1904 season. A Crossley 28hp and Crossley 40hp followed, all three cars being of normal design and foreign inspiration. Their designer was J.S. Critchley, formerly of Daimler. Shaft drive appeared in 1906, and late in 1909, some were fitted with Allen-Liveredge front-wheel brakes, but Crossley cars, though excellent machines, made little impression until after 1910. The 4-litre 20hp Crossley which then made its bow was a well-constructed, durable and very popular car. Designed by A.W. Reeves, it lived on in modified form until 1925. Crossley’s finest hour came in World War 1, when, as the Crossley 20/25hp it achieved fame as a staff car in the Royal Flying Corps, and as an ambulance and light truck. The Crossley model was extremely popular with the British Royal Family after the war in its 25/30hp version. In its early years, however, it was rivalled by the 15hp. The efficiency of the latter’s  otherwise conventional engine, a side-valve four like the rest, gave this Crossley a better performance than most cars in its class and encouraged the makers to offer a special sporting variant, the Crossley Shelsley.

The Crossley Fifteen was discontinued after 1914, but a new Crossley arrived for 1921. This Crossley 19.6hp was a rather more modern design, having a detachable cylinder head, and it was cheaper and lighter on fuel than its 25/30hp companion. The performance was about the same. It was also made in sporting form as the Crossley 20/70hp, but this model was heavy, like the ’Crossley 19.6’ itself, and the brakes were not good enough for the 75mph that was available. Crossley did not make a serious attempt to invade the middle-class market until 1923, when the Crossley 12/14hp, later called the Crossley Fourteen, was introduced. Like its brothers, this was a simple side-valve four, in this case of 2.4 litres, but was more modern, with its unit construction of engine and gearbox and central gear-change. The Crossley Fourteen was a very successful model, being flexile and, thanks to its light weight, both roomy and economical. It survived until 1927. By this time the two bigger Crossley cars were giving way to a much more up-to-date car; the Crossley company’s first six and its first overhead-valve machine. This Crossley 18/50hp model was a spacious, heavy 2.6-litre car with good brakes but somewhat lacking in power. Its engine was enlarged to 3.2-litres and 20.9hp for 1928. At the same time a new small Crossley of similar design, the 2-litre Crossley 15.7hp was introduced, to which a sporting alternative reviving the Shelsley name was  added in 1929. Lagonda’s 16/80 model used this engine later. The 6-cylinder Crossley 15.7hp continued until 1934 and the Crossley 20.9hp until 1937. Wilson pre-selector gearboxes were fitted from 1934.

In 1932, the Crossley company had introduced a light car, the Crossley Ten. This was an assembled vehicle powered by an 1100cc Coventry-Climax engine with overhead inlet valves. It was too heavy (a drawback compounded by the pre-selector gearbox), it was very low-geared and its brakes were mediocre. Another mistake was Crossley’s attempt to market the Burney rear-engined car with all-independent suspension. It was given a 15.7hp Crossley engine and a Wilson box, but it was too unconventional in appearance and handling. Very few were made. In 1935, Crossley introduced its new Regis range of small cars with handsome bodies styled by C.F. Beauvais. They consisted of the Crossley Ten and a new Crossley 1½-litre six of the same design also powered by Coventry-Climax, both with a new lowered frame. Both cars, together with the last Crossley 20.9s, disappeared after 1937.

Crossley assembled other people’s cars as well as making their own, beginning with the Willys-Overland Model 4 in 1920. The Gorton-produced Willys came to include more and more British-made parts, such as a Morris Oxford engine. A less likely diversion was an attempt of Crossley in 1921 to make the Type 22 Bugatti in England, but only a handful of these Crossley-Bugattis appeared. In 1922-1933 the Crossley factory made the AJS as well.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com