Description

1923 Crossley 19.6 'Sports'

AMENDMENT; Exciting and powerful Vintage thoroughbred; lots of work done - plenty to do; why spend time working on something mediocre when there is quality like this to be had?; very realistically priced and a surprisingly complete rolling chassis

Crossley had a profitable first World War and came out of it with a reputation for excellence thanks to the superb Crossley staff cars and ambulances that plied the battlefields of France.

With an enviable reputation for refinement and reliability, they found sufficient customers in the difficult years post-war to keep their factory busy - making expensive cars including the top-of-the-range 20/70 Sports from 1922.

Purchased by the vendor as a 20/70 project along with a second 19.6 for use as spares (Lot 25 in today's sale), it became apparent that it was not in fact a 20/70, but a 19.6 model upon which the 20/70 was almost entirely based. Both cars had been shipped to the UK in 2015 having been found in a barn in Brisbane although it was reputed to have some 20/70 components within - such as the tall 3.3:1 diff, but you will have to satisfy yourselves about what is what.

Some work had been done, but the component parts were soon stripped and the chassis sent to Green Farm Racing to be dismantled, checked, straightened and re-riveted. Special cross-tubes were fitted and once completed it was black-etch primed.

Green Farm also took the trouble to take some 8" out of the chassis side-rails, to shorten the car and make its proportions more sporting when fitted with the proposed two (or three) seater coachwork.

New springs were made and Phil Hill reconditioned the front spring shackle brackets with phosphor bronze bushes. This chassis work costing some £9,000 alone.

Further work has been done, including machining adaptors to fit modern prop-shafts. As far as the work schedule has gone, that is about where the project has got to - the vendor's head having been turned by some pre-war Italian exotica!

The car consists of much much more. The complex radiator has had work done to it. The engine has been partially dismantled, with removal of the crank, bearing caps, pistons and rods which are all present. The oil pump is also present as are the timing gears, chain and magneto cradle, in fact the only component known to be missing is one cam-follower! It comes with its flywheel, cone-clutch and release mechanism and jack-shaft to mate with the seperate gearbox.

The back axle has been dismantled and perhaps this is why the car came off the road in the first place - there are several crownwheel and pinions and the four-star diff assembly is also present. The chassis also comes with brake actuators, pedals and cross-shaft and handbrake mountings and lever (black etch primed).

Its large and impressive wheels look new, or at least rebuilt so one can see that a fortune has already been spent and the project is well underway.

As blank canvases go, this project looks most exciting. The end result could be a stunning, fast and imposing Vintage thoroughbred with good four wheel brakes and a 70-80mph cruise. Stand by Mr Toad!!

For more information - contact Matthew Parkin 07813 936698 matthew.parkin@brightwells.com 

AMENDMENT: Please note this car was initally listed as a 20/70 but is in fact a 19.6.