CROSSLEY
VEHICLES
TODAY
1934
Golden
Saloon
The car as purchased by Peter Caunt in 1969.Photo
- Peter Caunt
Photos
- Mike Eyre
This Golden saloon registration number M594 now
belongs to
Michael Crossley, a descendant of the founding family. This
is of special significance as the car originally belonged to Lady Mabel
Crossley, the wife of Sir William Crossley, and the number had been used on a sequence of family cars
going back to a 1906 40hp model. The Golden was the
successor to the 20.9 and this car was
first registered on
30th May 1934 making it the youngest of the four known surviving Goldens and possibly the last made.
During its use with Lady Crossley, the car under the care of chauffeur
George Feathers, was always
washed when it returned home, even in the early hours of the morning,
the wheels were removed and under the wings washed and leathered
dry. The car was returned to
the Crossley Factory in 1941 when Lady Crossley was no longer able to
travel and
sold in 1943 to a taxi operator. He used it until 1948 when it needed
overhauling but it stayed in his Burnage, Manchester garage on blocks
until the garage was demolished in about 1965 or 66. The car
was
bought for restoration by Peter Caunt in March 1969. The tyres all
still held air allowing
the car to be towed to Moston on the other side of Manchester. The car
was
almost back to MOT standard when sold to Ron Barton of Prestwich,
Manchester in November 1981. He had the engine overhauled and the body
repainted. It was sold in 2004 to Michael Crossley.
The car has since been subject to a thorough
and
high quality restoration under the guidance of Crossley historian
Michael Eyre and is in regular use in the UK.
Chassis number is 42173, body number 282 and engine
number 42164. The car has Crossley bodywork.
RETURN
TO CROSSLEY PICTURE GALLERY
© Malcolm
Asquith 2010