William Crossley, born in Ireland and a successful businessman and politician in Manchester, set up a production line in Manchester to build Otto four-stroke engines for which he had acquired the British rights. The Crossley Company provided the engines to power factory equipment.
In 1903 Crossley commissioned the design of a car by a former Daimler works manager, JS Critchley. A 4.6-litre model was subsequently shown at the 1904 London Motor Show. The original 22hp car was followed by a 7-litre 40hp model, and Crossleys were made in very limited numbers until the car division was set up separately a year after William's knighthood in 1909. He died in 1911.
In the meantime, a Crossley driven by Charles Jarrott broke the London to Monte Carlo record in 1907.
The year 1909 was significant in automotive technology terms for Crossley. It offered front wheel brakes as an optional extra, for the not inconsiderable sum of £15. That was also the year the 12/14 model was introduced, innovative in engineering terms by having the engine and gearbox mounted as one unit.
In 1913, the marque's first sporting model was produced, the Shelsley, and a V-shaped grille that was to be a style characteristic of Crossleys was introduced. Also, a new 20/25 hp 4-litre model was sold to the Royal Flying Corps, initiating what was to be a strong relationship with the military.
After the war, financially strong, Crossley went back into the private market with a range of high-quality cars. The royal families of Britain, Spain, Siam and Japan became noted customers.
The 22/70 was a sports model of the 19.6 and was introduced in 1922 with a claimed 75 mph top speed from its 76bhp engine, a major increase in power from the standard car's 53bhp. Between 1921 and 1925, Crossley also produced 24 "British Bugattis", based on a short-lived agreement with the Bugatti company.
The 14hp of 1925 gained four-wheel brakes as standard. A new car the same year was the company's first 6-cylinder engine, a 2.7-litre unit that powered a car designated the 18/50. In 1928, a 2-litre 15.7hp was introduced that became noted for its 25 mpg fuel consumption and exceptional flexibility of engine response. One saloon version was named the Shelsley, reviving the pre-war name. A sports model built on the same chassis and had a power output more than a third more than the standard car. Two were entered in the 1930 Monte Carlo Rally and performed quite well.
In 1931, Crossley entered the "small" car market with a 10hp model, powered by a Coventry Climax 1120cc engine. It was produced in saloon, sports saloon, sports tourer and coupé forms, and later became known as Quicksilver.
One of the strangest cars ever built by the company was the Rear Engined Streamliner built in 1934. It incorporated a lot of oddities beyond its long-tailed appearance, including keeping the spare wheel inside the rear door, having a rear track 13 inches less than the front. Not many were sold.
One final individual Crossley was built, a 26/90 fitted with a 3.6-litre Studebaker engine, the whereabouts of which is not known since the 1950s.
Crossley phased out car production in 1937, and concentrated on bus, commercial, and military vehicle production through the war, until it was taken over by AEC in 1948.
Best Car: Arguably the 20.9 "Golden".
Worst Car: None - Crossley always represented excellence from the time of the first, conceived to be the "British Mercedes".
Weirdest Car: The 1934 Crossley Burney Streamliner.