1925 Crossley 15/30

This delightful Crossley was constructed in Manchester in 1925 and exported to Australia as a rolling chassis, where it was bodied by Properts of Sydney.

Its first owner (a Mr Conway) purchased it at the Sydney Motor Show and it then stayed in the local area, passing between several owners and eventually ending up with a flat back conversion (Ute, to use Australian parlance!).

Australian Crossley Register member Peter Caunt bought the car in a dilapidated state in 1985 and began the process of starting its restoration, with the chassis restored. However, the project stalled, and the car was put up for sale.

It came to the attention of one Stephen Thourgood, who said at the time “It was the early Nineties and I knew the car was coming back from Australia, as I was acquainted with the person bringing it over. The chassis was complete but required work including stripping down and rebuilding the engine; although the bodywork was in a sorry state, a surprising amount of it survived.”

He finished the Crossley’s restoration in 1994 and it’s been taxed and insured for the road ever since then. It has been on a Touring rally through Holland and Germany, as well as regularly attending The Crossley Register rallies.

He owned the car for almost 30 years and sold it to the current vendor earlier in 2021.

It’s impossible to look at this car without smiling; it provides the viewer with an instant feel-good factor, transporting you to yesteryear and an altogether slower pace of life.

The paintwork is brush painted and was varnished by a professional coach painter/sign writer as per the original. The Maroon paint is by Techaloid (some of the leftover paint is provided) and was matched to the paint on the rear doors, which was the original paintwork.

The Mohair hood and tonneau were fitted in 2003 and remain in excellent condition. He says that with practice it can be lifted, and lowered, by one person but it’s easier if there are two of you.

The original ‘Body by Properts Ltd, Sydney’ badges remain riveted to the sills. There’s an obligatory colour-matched Esso fuel can strapped to the offside running board, a spare wheel stowed at the rear and a luggage box fitted for Touring. A wing mirror is also fitted to the windscreen frame on the offside.

As our pictures and video show, it has a lovely patina.

There’s not much to the Crossley’s dashboard, save for a handful of dials, but it presents nicely. The wood retains a deep colour and the instruments all remain clear and, most importantly, function.

The brown upholstery hides remain very pleasing indeed, as do the matching door cards and door-mounted elbow pads. If we’re nitpicking, then it’s worth noting the driver’s door card has a bit of a nick at the lower right-hand corner and one or two seat edges are a little dry and could benefit from a feed and re-colour.

Seats are extremely well bolstered and provide a large degree of comfort for driver and passengers. Carpets and seat backs are very good. For peace of mind, you’ll find a basket containing various spares in the boot.

Indicators are fitted and controlled via a dashboard-mounted switch.

We understand it drives fine, although it’s not seen much action in the last 12 months.

The magneto has been converted to run on coil ignition for improved reliability and it’s not noticeable visually. However, a spare original specification one is supplied with the car.

The exhaust valves were replaced in 2016, which had a noticeable effect on the compression at the time.

We’re no strangers to pre-War cars here at The Market, but the vendor has also included some handwritten instructions on how to start the car for which we are (ahem) grateful.

Up and running, it’s clear that this is a majestic thing. It pootles along beautifully and provides an enthralling Twenties driving experience. Everything mechanical feels precise and in good order.

Lifting the engine panels reveals a pleasant and tidy engine bay, whilst time spent looking underneath rewards the inquisitive with a view of both an excellent chassis and wood floorboards in tip-top condition, as well as recently greased leaf springs.

The underside really is in superlative condition.

In the Crossley’s history file, you’ll find a nice typed page that details all that’s known about the car; this includes its time in Australia and its subsequent life in Blighty. There are also several period photographs, which are lovely to have.

One of the car’s immediate prior owners in Australia, he too was a member of The Crossley Register, has some documented communications that shine more light on its life down under.

You’ll find a motor vehicle importation certificate, several expired MoT certificates and a VSCC eligibility form. A few invoices pertaining to its restoration are present, as is a comprehensive booklet containing a wealth of restoration photographs. For anyone buying a restored classic car the latter is paramount, as it enables you to see the quality of work and level of detail achieved during the process.

There’re also a large number of Crossley Register newsletters, as well as some handbooks and rally plaques.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the paperwork to support our claim that this car has been rebuilt and then maintained to a high of standard.

It’s certainly a piece of history that’s quite characterful and very reliable.

Hopefully, it will go to someone who will become a member of The Crossley Register, as it’s a very good organisation. There are thirty to forty active members and every year they arrange a weekend away; there’s plenty of back up and available advice from people dedicated to each model.

This car is well known to the Register and, given its lovely condition, we think it will sell for somewhere between £12,000 and £22,000. For that the next owner will receive not only a wonderful piece of automotive engineering, but one that’s in fine fettle and ready for immediate use.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm so to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.