4-Cylinder In-Line Crosley Automobile Engine, 1948

01

Artifact Overview

Appliance manufacturer Powel Crosley's small economy cars enjoyed a brief sales boost following World War II. At that time, they were powered by unusual copper-brazed engines assembled from pressed-steel parts. The little 44-cubic-inch, 26.5-horsepower engines weighed just 133 pounds. But the sheet-metal engines were prone to corrosion, and Crosley switched to heavier cast-iron engine blocks in 1949.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Automobile engine

Date Made

1948

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

79.18.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Bill Nowack.

Material

Steel (Alloy)
Aluminum (Metal)

Color

Gray (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 24 in
Width: 16 in
Length: 35 in

Inscriptions

on data plate: AUTO-LITE / MAK 027 / SYRACUSE, NEW YORK / MADE IN U.S.A. on data plate: AUTO-LITE / 1GW 4181A / 11B / TOLEDO, OHIO / MADE IN U.S.A. on side of engine: CWC / 1 / R209900 / ARROW / 209585 / 21228R on nose of engine: T92-146 / N / 2