1952 Crosley Model CD Fire Truck

Lotus founder Colin Chapman was famous for saying that he'd made a small fortune in racing but that he'd, unfortunately, started with a large one. Powel Crosley Jr. could have made the same observation about his adventure as a carmaker. Spectacularly successful with refrigerators and radios, Crosley loved automobiles and perceived an opportunity for a small car in a market increasingly addicted to big cars with big horsepower.

Crosley's car debuted at the 1939 New York world's fair. It was tiny, with an 80-inch wheelbase and a 15-horsepower two-cylinder engine. Production startup at the Cincinnati factory was slow, as the company grappled with quality issues. But after the WWII hiatus, the Crosley's future locked promising with a slightly larger car and more power from a new 717cc four-cylinder engine.

Sales climbed over 28,000 in 1948. But in 1949, the domestic carmakers all had new models, and despite the introduction of disc brakes - a world first - and the nifty Hotshot sports car, Crosley sales tanked. The factory shut down in 1952.

Suitable only for very small fires, this conversion was one of about 100 produced by the Overland Amusement Company of Lexington, Massachusetts, between 1947 and 1952.

Intended as a ride for kids, this example served at the Catskill Game Farm, in New York. The owners acquired the truck at a farm machinery auction in 2005 and completed its restoration in 2008. It has since collected ribbons at several AACA and Crosley shows.

Source - Concours d'Elegance of America