While Daimler was the preferred marque of King George V, his sons the Prince of Wales and Duke of York used Crossleys on tours of the Empire.
In 1927 the Duke of York, later King George VI, toured Australia, and 12 Crossley 18/50s were sent out – four limos, two landaulettes and six open tourers – plus a 15/30 to carry police and security staff. This last car was sent as a chassis and bodied locally by Holden Motor Works. It was recently donated to the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.
Of the 12 original 18/50s, only four are known to survive, and one now lives in the New Forest. In the 1990s it was imported from Australia to France, then there are pictures of it lying derelict in Shropshire in 1997. A year later it was bought by Crossley Register member Nick Over, a skilled engineer and cabinet maker. He restored the chassis, got the engine running and made a wooden frame with the help of fellow Crossley owner Adrian Donnelly, but Nick was forced to sell the 18/50 in 2018 due to illness.
The car was sold again by Brightwells in 2022 and bought by Ian Pawson. Ian and his wife had fallen in love with a 1924 Lea-Francis, and they decided to find a larger vintage project. “When she arrived, we were taken aback by the size of the beast,” says Ian, who bought the 18/50 unseen.
“The top of the bonnet is level with the roof of our Porsche Panamera!”
The engine was seized and the starting handle was bent – presumably by people trying to turn it over. After six weeks of applying a petrol/diesel mix to the cylinders, it now turns freely. Ian was set on making the new panels himself, although he had no experience of using an English Wheel. He has now finished most of the bodywork and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
RESTORED 2CV IS QUITE SPÉCIAL
In 2017, 2CVGB member Alan Sykes was after a project when he saw an advert for an unrestored 1986 Citroën 2CV Spécial. C650 SUY had been off the road since 1997 and had covered only 32,000 miles.
The previous owner, David Frost, had bought it in 2016, and there were five unknown keepers prior to him. The factory paint was stone-chipped, but the chassis was pretty sound. The upholstery was in a poor state, perhaps due to the car being left out in the sun.
Before starting a restoration, Alan went to evening classes to learn to weld, then the rebuild took place during lockdown. Local 2CV expe
