Last Stop - Crawford Auto Collection

This will be my last blog regarding the Crawford Auto Collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio.



The first of the 5 autos in this grouping is a 1941 Cadillac 60 Special Fleetwood 5 passenger sedan. This car is in unrestored condition. It was owned and driven by Frederick C. Crawford who used it regularly into the 1970's. This car had a 146" wheelbase and a 150 HP engine. It originally cost $2,195.00.


Here is a 1909 Ford Model T, serial number #577. This is the 5th oldest "T" known to exist, one of the 1st 850 built. This is the original color scheme of the early T's. From 1914 to 1927, you could buy Model T's in any color you wanted, "as long as it was black." This 1909 model developed 20 HP and it cost $850.00.

This beast of a car is a 1913 Alco Model 6 Berline Limousine. It was built by the American Locomotive Company, the world's largest producer of Locomotives. When Alco decided to get into the automobile business in 1906, for the first 3 years they built the high quality French Berliets autos for US consumption. In 1909 they started building their own version of a "Berliets" style vehicle. At first, they built them too well...taking 19 months per auto! The company lost $650.00 on every car they built, ceasing production in 1913. This 60 HP automobile was built in Providence RI, and it cost $7,250!

The Chandler Automobile Company was started in Cleveland in 1913. For some years it was a very successful company, producing good cars at a good price. This nifty looking example is a 1926 Chandler Model 33A. It had a 55 HP engine, a 124" wheelbase and it cost $1,695.00. In 1928, the founders wanted to retire and the company was purchased by Hupp Motors of Detroit. By 1929, the Chandler was gone.

This is a 1929 Jordan Speedboy Dual-Cowl Phaeton. Ned Jordan was a terrific promoter of the brand, excelling in advertising and producing autos that were moderately rakish and daring. His autos also had nicely appointed interiors. He advertised life style rather than pushing ads about performance or mechanical advances. In actuality, Jordan Motors didn't build cars, rather the company assembled cars from parts purchased from reputable manufacturers. This particular car was a wedding present for Ned's daughter, Jane. It produced 85 PH, had a wheelbase of 125" and it cost $2,895.00.

The Crawford Auto-Aviation Collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society is open from Tuesday through Saturday. The museum is located at 10825 East Boulevard in Cleveland Ohio. Phone: 216-721-5722. Website: www.wrhs.org/index/php/crawford.