Manatee History Matters: Crosley FarmOroad is ideal for 2016 urban farmer
Powel Crosley Jr. was an innovator and a broad thinker.
When these two qualities are combined with the love of all things mechanical, great developments and inventions can result!
While Crosley greatly influenced the radio industry, household conveniences and the sport of baseball, his automotive interest had the most direct impact on agriculture.
Crosley began producing vehicles in 1945-46 and his efforts provided him with a viable mass-market product during World War II.
His small, basic cars met a need and in the first year, Crosley sold 4,999 vehicles.
In 1947, he added a two-door station wagon and his sales exploded to 19,000 units due to the overall new car shortage.
In 1948, sales increased to 29,000 cars though this would prove to be his best year.
The Big Three in the automotive industry -- General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler -- restyled their top sellers and gave Crosley a run for his money.
In 1949, his sales plunged to under 7,500 units.
In 1950, he tried to fight the trend by producing several new lines of vehicles, including the FarmOroad. Sales of all ve
hicles slid below 7,000 and even further in 1951 to 6,600.
By 1952, Crosley recognized his time in the automotive industry was past and he stopped producing June 3, 1952, after only 2,075 vehicles had been produced.
The FarmOroad's production life was short-lived, though there might be a market for it today.
The FarmOroad was a combination of a light tractor, a small pickup and a passenger vehicle. It was aimed at the farmer who could not afford a new car and a tractor at the same time.
Crosley introduced the FOR on July 20, 1950. In a dealer announcement, Powel Crosley Jr. stated: "Here at last is the machine people have been longing for and wishing for as a tractor, a powerful workhorse for farming, plowing, cultivation, mowing, and so forth -- a fast, economical vehicle for road trips -- a rugged truck for hauling and towing -- a mobile power plant for sawing wood, spraying, etc., all combined in one lightweight, low-cost machine. That is the Crosley FOR."
It is believed approximately 600 FORs were manufactured. Though it looked like a mini-Jeep, only the rear, dually axle was powered by a 26.5 HP cast iron block engine of Crosley's own design.
One gear shift operated a three-speed manual primary transmission while the other selected between high or a 4:1 reduction gear to a heavy duty rear axle for heavier pulling requirements.
To prevent the little 12-inch dual wheels on the back from spinning on one side when the FOR was pulling a farm implement, the driver could use the emergency brake to lock up the spinning side by moving the brake handle to the right or left. This would engage that brake shoe for each side.
While the speedometer indicated a top speed of 70 mph, 40 mph was more realistic.
Standard equipment included a two-person main body onto which a pick-up box could be ordered. The pickup box could be standard or ordered with a hydraulic dumping mechanism.
Attachments available for purchase included: snow plow, disc harrow, rolling coulter, cultivator, plow, reel-type mower, cutter bar mower, seeders, hay rake, fertilizer, and a row guide.
You could also purchase all-weather tops and curtains.
For today's urban farmer, a FarmOroad seems to be the perfect little vehicle. The FOR could find its niche with the city farmer who also wants to go to town but doesn't need or can't afford a car and a heavier-duty tractor.
To see a 1950 Crosley FarmOroad, visit the Manatee County Agricultural Museum to view one in their permanent collection. It is a featured piece in the May through September multisite exhibit: Powel Crosley Jr. Community Exhibition: His Life, His Work, His Impact. Presented by the Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller, Historical Resources Department, the South Florida Museum and the Manatee County Library System. Primary sponsor of the exhibit is the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Diane Ingram, supervisor of Manatee County Agricultural Museum, enjoys talking with visitors to the museum who like to reminisce about growing up on farms and hearing stories about how they used the type of equipment on exhibit at the museum and maybe even explaining how some of the more obscure pieces work. Ingram can be reached by email at diane.ingram@manateeclerk.com or call 941-721-2034.
This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee History Matters: Crosley FarmOroad is ideal for 2016 urban farmer ."