1952 Crosley Skorpion

1952 Crosley Skorpion

Powel Crosley, a manufacturer of radios and refrigerators, began manufacturing two-cylinder automobiles in 1939 in Indiana and Ohio. The Crosley cars were tiny, quirky and advertised as 'America's most needed car.' Originally the cars were displayed and purchased through department stores, such as Macy's. After several orders were placed, the company opened up its own dealer showroom in New York.

By the early 1950s, sales were slow. The last Crosley line was introduced in 1951 and would remain essentially unchanged until production ended in July 1952. On March 28th, 1953, Crosley Motors merged with Aerojet Engineering Company of Azusa, California, both companies being members of the General Tire and Rubber Company.

Crosley was a leader in innovation, being the first to pioneer the four-wheel disc brake systems.

This particular car is a Crosley Scorpion. It has a Crosley 4-cylinder engine and an all-fiberglass body. The cars were designed by Ralph Roberts (whose resume included work with LeBaron in the 1930s) and were built by John Wills. Wills had worked with fiberglass and plastics since 1936.

Wills and Roberts built four complete cars, and the rest were sold as bodies in kit form. It is believed that 28 examples were built.

Skorpions were not really a Crosley offering, as the company already had two roadster models - the Super Sport and the Hot Shot. Instead, they were fiberglass roadster bodies that could be installed onto a Crosley chassis.

This particular 1947 Crosley has been upgraded with the Spinner and Louver style grill accessory that became available as an accessory in mid-1948 to give the car a more modern appearance.

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