[D]

Irish born William John Crossley established Crossley Brothers with his elder brother, Frank in a factory at Great Marlborough Street, Manchester in 1867. They had acquired an existing business that made machinery for producing India rubber and flax. Two years later they secured the British and World rights (except Germany) for the Otto-Langen atmospheric gas engine.

Nicholas August Otto perfected the four-stroke version of his engine in 1876 and William Crossley recognised the potential and a production line was set up in Manchester.

William was a founder director of the Manchester Ship Canal, a Liberal Member of Parliament and a freeman of the city of Manchester. In 1909 he was created a baronet. William died in 1911 and was succeeded by his son, Sir Kenneth Irwin Crossley who chaired the company until retiring after the Second World War.

The efforts of motor agents, Charles Jarrott & Willian Malesbury Letts, led to Crossley entering the motorcar business. The London partnership, founded in 1903, was selling de Ditrichs and Oldsmobiles and wanted an "English Mercedes". JS Critchley, previously works manager at Daimler, was commissioned by Crossley to produce a design. This resulted in a 4.6 litre 22 hp model shown at the 1904 Motor Show.

In 1910 Crossley Motors was established to separate the motorcar business from the stationary engines. Around this time they absorbed Jarrott & Letts. William Letts was to be responsible for Crossley's car operations. He was knighted in 1922.

Early production was at the works in the Openshaw district of Manchester that had previously been home to Sir Joseph Whitworth. Car production moved in 1910 to Gorton Lane, which Crossley had acquired in 1905 for diesel engine production.

A plan was in place to manufacture cars in Russia and a factory was set up at Lebedev. Cecil Bianchi who, in the 1920's, was to become Crossley's chief engineer, went to Russia and was lucky to get out in 1917 when the Bolshevik Revolution started.

During the Great War William Letts was responsible for the construction of Crossley's National Aeroplane Factory Number Three at Heaton Chapel, Stockport. After the war they had a large well-equipped factory and planned in December 1919 to assemble Overlands. Production started in 1920 but the state of the British economy and the introduction of the Horsepower Tax in 1921 caused this venture to fail.

Crossley had made commercials since 1912 and in 1928 entered the bus market. By this time car sales were falling.

In 1933 the RE (Rear Engined) was a version of Burney's unsuccessful rear engined car, and was not any more successful.

In September 1931 a new 10 hp model was introduced. This had origins in the 1925 experimental "X-Car" developed by a company that was a product of the company's joint venture with Willys Overland. Willys-Overland-Crossley.

By the time of the 1937 Motor Show, no Crossley cars were being built. Dwindling sales, a large order for buses and trolley buses for Manchester Corporation and a War Office commission for the Indian Government Lorry meant that car production ceased.

After the war bus and trolley bus manufacture continued. In 1946 Crossley moved to Errwood Park, Stockport. In 1948 they were taken over by AEC. Chassis production stopped in 1951 and bus bodies were made until the closure of the Stockport site in 1958.

The photographs of the red 1912 car and the blue 1926 Tourer were kindly provided by Ross G Frater of Brisbane.

E-Mail: history@britishmm.co.uk