Cult Classic Crosley Cars Featured at 2012 Macungie Das Awkscht Fescht

We are lucky in Eastwood country to be located in a great location for the collector car culture. We have Carlisle about an hour from us where you can see some of the largest car and truck shows in the country, Maple Grove Raceway where we can see some of the largest drag racing events in the country, and a little town called Macungie, PA which houses a few of the largest classic car shows on this side of the country. Probably the largest is the “Das Awkscht Fescht”, which occurs in the beginning of every August. This show has been one of our favorites here at Eastwood, and we decided to hit the 49th edition of the show and share what all the excitement is about.

Each year the show organizers choose a classic, antique, or special interest vehicle to highlight at the show and give them center stage. Enthusiasts flock to show their vehicles and memorabilia, giving spectators a lot to see and learn about the chosen vehicle. This year the focus was on the U.S. manufacturer of one of the most delightful little microcars ever; Crosley. I’ve read a little about Crosley, but I wasn’t aware there was such a following of these neat microcars!

Crosley was originally formed by the owner of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team Powel Crosley, Jr. and his brother Lewis. The duo set out to make a subcompact car with a fuel efficient drivetrain, and they had much success during World War II when fuel rationing was crippling sales of larger automobiles. The Crosley models ran 2-cylinder aircooled engines originally and later were the first to mass produce a Single Overhead Cam engine (SOHC).

Speaking of firsts, Crosley was the first in the US to equip its vehicles with certain features like 4-wheel disc brakes! They also built the first American sports car- the Hot Shot. They even went on to coin the term “Sport Utility”. Years later their sales dwindled and they shut down after a failed merger with Nash. Their spirit still lives on with Crosley enthusiasts and their racing heritage is firmly planted after the Hot Shot and Crosley powered race cars dominated the race circuits in the ’50’s.

Thanks to the enthusiasts that brought out some of the most rare Crosley vehicles and literature in the world and helped educate the classic car community! Below is a slideshow of some of our favorites from the event.

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