THE WORDWRIGHT'S friend, Bob Tinsky has cranked out another story from his younger days. Again, I wish to thank Robert J. Tinsky for standing in for me during our rather busy schedule of working out priorities while Mrs. Wordwright (Jean Venrick) is recuperating from the stroke she experienced April 22. We are happy to report Jean is doing very well and is nearly finished with her therapy after about three and a half weeks (7 sessions).. One built-in therapy she worked out for herself Is playing the piano—it makes excellent therapy for her left hand; Jean says it sounds more like a beginner but we're glad to see such effort put forth to get back as close to normal as possible. THE WORDWRIGHT

CROSLEY AUTOMOBILES

� � � � � � � � � � � Does anyone who is reading this remember Crosley Automobiles?� I was the proud owner of a brand new Crosley that I purchased in 1948. (1948 was a banner year for Crosley automobiles with more sold that year than any other year).
� � � � � � � � � � � � � When I got out of the service in 1947 I bought a used 1936 Chevy.� It was well worn by the time I bought it and was constantly in the garage for repair.� I finally got tired of having my car in the garage so often so decided I could afford to buy a brand new wood paneled Crosley station wagon.� I think I paid about $600 or $700 for it.�
� � � � � � � � � � � � It was a nice little vehicle that weighed 1000 pounds and was only 48 inches wide. � In spite of it being such a small vehicle I could pile up to 12 college students in it, provided half of them sat on someone else’s lap.� I doubt that would be legal today.� I got excellent gas mileage—about 50 miles per gallon.� � It evidently, however, was not designed to drive in the hilly country of Cincinnati where I was attending college because the engine “gave up the ghost” when it was only two years old.� (Maybe I should not have tried to carry so many passengers at one time).
� � � � � � � � � � � � This automobile was invented by a man named Powel Crosley who was from Cincinnati (the same city where I got my little car).� Some of you may remember that he also produced Crosley radios and refrigerators.� The refrigerator had shelves in the doors and was known as “The Shelvador.” Mr. Powell was also the owner of a radio station and the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. (The name “Crosley” lives on today, The Venricks bought a new Crosley Washing Machine this summer., of course it is made by another manufacturer but “Crosley” is the brand name. The Wordwright)
� � � � � � � � � � � � Mr. Crosley produced his first automobile in 1939 and introduced at the Indianapolis Speedway.� He called it “the forgotten man’s car.” � The car originally sold for only $250. � Can you imagine getting any kind of an automobile for that small amount today?� A total of 5,757 of these cars were sold before World War II.
� � � � � � � � � � � � The Second World War stopped the production of these tiny vehicles but when the war ended in 1945 they again were manufactured and offered for sale.� By the end of 1948 there were 25,000 Crosleys on the road.� (Mine was one of that 25,000.)� Over 70,000 of these vehicles were produced by 1952 when production was discontinued.�
� � � � � � � � � � � � It is interesting to note that several famous persons owned a Crosley automobile—General Omar Bradley, Humphrey Bogart, Dwight Eisenhower, Geraldine Ferraro, Art Linkletter, Nelson Rockerfeller, Gloria Swanson, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
� � � � � � � � � � I should add that students at college liked to pick up the car by the rear end so I could not move it.� One of our professors also had a little Crosley and one day the students picked it up and put it on the porch that surrounded the Administration building of the college.� (I don’t think he was too happy about that prank).�
� � � � � � � � � � � � I kept my little Crosley until 1950 when I traded it in for a used 1947 Nash.� Anyone remember Nash automobiles?�

THANKS, BOB, for your story about your 1948 Crosley – I remember them too, as well as the Nash.
THE WORDWRIGHT