As you know, the US government asked and eventually forced the auto industry to contribute to the war effort. This series is to highlight some of the major contributions and first up is Crosley.
Crosley produced cars from the 1930s until the 1950s. Interestingly, before Powell Crosley produced cars, he was the owner of the Cincinnati Reds. Their first car, what we would call a subcompact these days, was a convertible.
1939 Crosley Convertible
For the war effort Crosley supplied its power plant the four-cylinder CoBra. CoBra was short for Copper Brazed and often refered to as the “The Might Tin” it was used aboard PT boats and and the B-17 Flying Fortress bombers mainly to power generators, refrigeration compressors, etc., and were widely praised for their successes in the war effort. The engine was made from sheet metal rather than cast iron like most other engines.
CoBra Block – the thin walls reduced hot spots.
Crosley CoBra this one was set up for vehicle use
Crosley stayed in business after WWII and eventually closed up in 1952. Their last attempt to save the company was to production a utility vehicle called the Farm-O-Road which was used on farm and ranches.
