Car of the Week: 1952 Crosley fire truck

Jayne and Norm Smith were just a couple of Crosley lovers looking for a way to amuse themselves.

They found the perfect solution, and it was nearly 30 feet long.

That was back in the mid 2000s, and since then the Smiths have become known as the restorers and owners of the nicest surviving example of a rare and wonderful creature: a 1952 Crosley fire truck amusement ride. The couple figured somebody needed to rescue the retired and deteriorating fire rig before it was too late. And even though they had never restored a vehicle themselves, they decided they were the ideal candidates.

Crosley connoisseurs who research such things believe that about 100 of the little fire truck conversions were done between 1947 and ’52. The rigs consisted of either a Crosley, or later a Metropolitan, pickup in front, and a custom 20-foot trailer in back. The conversions were most frequently done by Overland Amusement Company of Lexington, Mass., and their customers were generally amusement parks. At least one other company, Fly & Hardwood of Memphis, Tenn., also did such fire truck conversions. The fire trucks were decked out with all the bells and whistles of a real fire truck — ladders, bells, lights — and up to 30 children could climb aboard in two rows on either side of the trailer and get towed around while Mom and Dad waived and took pictures.

 Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio and Whalom Park in Lunenburg, Mass., were among the parks who utilized the little fire trucks. 

The Smiths, who reside in Poland, Ohio, caught wind of a farm auction that would include one of the amusement trucks through a friend. Jayne decided to attend the auction and check it out —

It took about two months to get the fire truck transported home to Ohio, and another two years before the couple was ready to show it off to the rest of the world. But the results of their efforts are stunning. The amusement trucks is in like-new condition and has wowed spectators and judges wherever it has traveled. 

Pawel Crosley seemed like an unlikely character to get involved in the car building business. Crosley was an inventor and adventurous businessman who made it big in the radio broadcasting business, and became the owner of the Cincinnati Reds. His name was even on the team’s stadium: Crosley Field.

Crosley’s successes in manufacturing and consumer products were numerous, but most of all he longed build a small air-cooled automobile that the masses could afford. Backed by his own substantial bank account, he started his own company in 1939 building two-cylinder mini-cars. All the Crosby models were tiny body-on-frame designs weighing between 1,100 and 1,400 lbs. They mostly utilized 80-inch-wheelbase chassis, four-wheel disc brakes and leaf springs. The overhead-cam engines introduced in 1946 were a first on an American-built mass-produced vehicle. In 1940, Pawel Crosby added small trucks to his lineup. Early offerings included a Parkway Delivery truck and a station wagon. For 1941, the company was also building pickups, panel trucks and the “Covered Wagon.”

After a break for war-time production, Crosley returned to building cars in 1946, then rolled out a new line of tiny trucks the following year. The bodies were all new, and the trucks featured more conventional water-cooled engines. The models included a pickup, panel wagon and two models (flat face or chassis and cab) that could be customized to meet the needs of the customer. Among the more unique versions was a miniature fire engine — not a children’s ride, but the real thing — that could be used at industrial facilities.

All the Crosley trucks were more suited for urban use or as specialty vehicles than traditional haulers. Their audience was small grocers, flower shops, repair shops and other similar businesses that might find a tiny truck suited their needs better than a traditional pickup from “The Big 3”.

Another restyling was unveiled by Crosley in 1949, when the lineup consisted of a pickup or panel truck. Both had quarter-ton hauling capacities and sold for under $900. A year later, the memorable Farm-O-Road model was launched as a pseudo tractor-cart-truck. It became a fun vehicle for collectors and enthusiasts many years later, but didn’t do a lot for sales, or the company’s bottom line.

In 1952, Crosley was sold to General Tire & Rubber, which made the decision not to continue in the car and truck-building business. The final bell tolled on July 3, 1952, when the last Crosley automobile rolled out of the Marion, Ind. plant.

Norm takes a deep sigh when asked how challenging it is to rebuilt a Crosley fire truck ride as your first auto restoration. 

Norm was an experienced sheet metal fabricator, which he put to good use making his own floorboards that replaced the rotted-out original floor. 

The couple said they spent about a year restoring the truck, and another year on the trailer. The modified pickup still has its original 44cc, 26.5-hp Crosley engine. The couple exactly replicated everything on the pickup as best they could, from the lettering on the sides, to the upholstery on the seats. “Nothing on the inside is different from the original,” Norm noted.

To help get things just right, the Smiths traveled to Memphis to look at a truck that had already been finished to check on some of the little details, such as the stenciling. They also checked out another vehicle in New Jersey.

The Smiths can joke now about the extremes they went to to get everything correct and looking like new on their amusement truck. They remain modest about the spectacular results, but admit no else has gone to such great lengths. 

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