We have often beaten the drum around here that rarity does not necessarily convert into desirability or value. In the case of the otherwise embarrassingly under powered 1942 Crosley Liberty, the story is a little more complicated than that. The fact that there were only 30 of these cars produced does make it one of the most rare American cars ever. Its true defining feature? The roof. This was the first Crosley car that was produced with a steel roof. To this point in history, all the rest had been cloth roofed cars. Believe it or not, it was Holden in Australia that produced the first car in the world with a stamped roof. The little Crosley does not represent that type of history but it does represent an interesting moment in time when even the cheapest cars had some version of the same technology that far more expensive stuff did…kind of like power locks and air conditioning today.

Production was not halted because customers were getting run over as the 12hp Waukesha engine could not keep them up with traffic. Instead, it was halted because the world has descended into war and the United Sates was converting her industrial might to the business of making wartime materials rather than civilian equipment. Of the 1,029 Crosleys built before war production began in 1942 just 30 were Liberty models with the steel roof. That’s pretty awesome. Yes, the engine really made 12hp. You can see a photo of it below.

The car for sale in this ad is incredibly intact. Yes, it is weather beaten, haggard, and in need to 1,234 different fixes and modifications to make it roadworthy. The body looks straight, the interior has been thoroughly pillaged, and what looks to be an original spare tire is still on the truck as well.

I have a feeling that you now how this is going to end, but the way I’d built it? Put the body back to factory stock and paint it ruby red. Add leaf springs on all the corners, a drop axle up front, some Halibrand sprindle mounts, and an engine that had a whole bunch of blower on the top. Some hand-laid gold leaf lettering could complete the package and some sweet blown engine snuck in that narrow engine bay.

What do you think? BangShift approved!

Scroll down to see the photos of this 1942 Crosley Liberty –

eBay Link: 1942 Crosley Liberty is a weird, cool, and ultra rare car