This car was called the Crossley 12/14 at launch on the home market but by 1923 the name had changed to the 14. For export it was known more logically as the 15/30 indicating its RAC horsepower rating of 15.6 and its actual engine power of 30 bhp. It is not known why the "14" designation was used.
Approximately 5500 were made making it Crossley's biggest selling civilian model.
Known chassis numbers range from 25086 to 29991 and 70009 to 70506.
BODY STYLES
4/5 seat tourer.
The upper illustration shows a two wheel brake model with no driver's
door. There would be two doors on the other side. The lights are CAV
type.
The rear windscreen, here with the centre section folded down, was
supplied with the de Luxe model. The standard model was dropped in 1925.
The lower picture is a four wheel brake type with Rotax lights.
£475 (1922)
£400 Standard version (1923)
£420 De Luxe version (1923)
£395 (1925)
£399 (1926)
2 seat tourer.
Although the car resembles the drophead coupé, the 2 seat tourer had a
more basic specification with fabric side screens and was really a 2
seat version of the four door tourer and was priced the same.
£475 (1922)
£400 Standard version (1923)
£420 De Luxe version (1923)
£395 (1925)
£399 (1926)
The 2 seat coupé was in theory available in both
fixed head and drop head versions. The fixed head does not seem to
appear in any of the sales literature so might have been a one-off.
£450 (1924)
£540 (1925)
Specification included a folding dickey seat.
4 door saloon. The design changed over the
years with both flat and V-fronted windscreen variants and many
different rear window styles.
£495 (1923)
£560 (1924)
£495 (1925)
£560 (V-screen) (1925)
£595 (1926)
Specification included: -
lady's and gentleman's companions
pair of flower vases
skin rug
silk blind to rear window
ash tray with pipe rack
Fabric Saloon (Coach)
£465 (1925)
£455 (1926)
Corded cloth or leather upholstery.
Landaulette
£520 (1923), £580 (1924), £580 (1925)
Specification included -
Two folding auxiliary seats in the rear
Leather driver's seat
Interior upholstered in leather or Bedford cord.
"Falling head" covered with enamelled leather
(This photograph is from the sales brochure for the 14hp range but for
some reason does not show any lights fitted to the car)
Saloon-Limousine
(externally the same as the saloon)
£520 (1923), £590 (1925)
Specification as for saloon but with a sliding glass division
The above are all Crossley factory bodies. Standard colours were maroon, grey or blue. Upholstery was in leather for the tourer and in leather or Bedford Cord for the closed cars.
Many cars were supplied in chassis form to independent coach builders especially on the export market.
The prices quoted are for the home market and come from contemporary advertisements and price lists. The variation in prices can be caused by differing specifications. Up to 1925 four wheel brakes were an extra £15.
SPECIFICATION
| Engine/gearbox/transmission | |
|---|---|
| capacity | 2388cc |
| cylinders | 4 (monobloc) |
| bore | 80mm |
| stroke | 120mm |
| compression ratio | 4.67:1 |
| RAC Horse Power | 15.6 |
| carburettor | Solex 26MV |
| valves | side |
| lubrication -early | dip |
| lubrication - late | full pressure |
| ignition | magneto (ML CG4 type or BTH) |
| max power | 31bhp at 2400 rpm |
| fuel consumption (typical) | 28 mpg (10 liters/100 km) |
| max speed (approx) | 55 mph (90 kph) |
| acceleration | 0-50mph (0-80kph) in 43 seconds (tourer) |
| Gears | 3 forward + reverse gears. At least 3 different ratios were supplied at various times 1:1, 2.197:1, 3.925:1 and 5.235:1 (reverse) 1:1, 1.75:1, 3.125:1 and 5.235:1 (reverse) 1:1, 1.818:1, 3.250:1 and 4.333:1 (reverse) The gearbox was mounted in unit with the engine. |
| Clutch | Single dry plate |
| Drive shaft | open shaft with fabric couplings |
| Rear axle | spiral bevel ratios 4.0:1, 4.3:1 and 5.0:1 available |
| Electrical System | 12 Volt. Either Rotax or CAV. |
| Body/chassis | |
|---|---|
| wheelbase | 9 feet 4½ inches (2857 mm) |
| length | 12 feet 11 inches (3937 mm) |
| track - early | 4 feet 6 inches (1372 mm) |
| track - late | 4 feet 8 inches (1422 mm) |
| width overall | 5 feet 4 inches (1626 mm) |
| weight | 21cwt (1.066 tonne) (5 seat tourer body) |
| steering | Worm and wheel |
| suspension - front | semi elliptic springs Gabriel Snubbers fitted from 1925 |
| suspension -rear | semi elliptic springs Gabriel Snubbers optional from 1924 (standard from 1925) |
| brakes
|
front (optional but standard from 1925) rod operated Perrot
system. rear -rod operated handbrake - transmission |
| wheels/tyres | 30" x 3½" (1922) 765mm x 105mm or 21" x 4.75" 815mm x 105mm (export models) |
The change in specification to the wider track came in 1925 at about chassis number 29100. The car with chassis number 29103 has wide track axles. There was no change to the chassis for the increased track, the extra 2 inches being added to the axles.
The change to full pressure lubrication was in 1924 but is harder to pin point to an engine number and may have been done on export engines first. The late 1924 sales brochure (UK) refers to pressure fed bearings but an export leaflet dated 1/24 still refers to dip lubrication. By 11/24 the reference had changed to full pressure. Engine number 25473 which went to Australia is of the dip type. There were other, later, changes to the engine including the move of the oil filler from side to front and screw, as opposed to shim, tappet adjusters.