Crosley Two-Door Sedan (Pre-War) History

Powel Crosley Jr. unveiled his first car, the Series (C)1A, on April 28, 1939 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Weighing under 900 lb and about 10 feet long, it was powered by a small air-cooled two-cylinder Waukesha engine and, at roughly $325, was the lowest-priced car in America — undercutting even the tiny American Bantam. Crosley sold his economy cars through his appliance and hardware dealers rather than a conventional auto-dealer network.

The line grew quickly: 1940's Series (C)2A added a station wagon and a Parkway Delivery, and the 1941 CB41 broadened the range with sedans, wagons, panel and pickup variants. The 1942 CB42 introduced a steel-roofed 'Liberty Sedan' before civilian production stopped early in 1942 as the United States entered World War II. Roughly 5,700 pre-war Crosleys were built across the four model years.