Crawford Automobile

The Crawford Automobile Company was an American automobile manufacturer that was established from 1904 to 1923 in Hagerstown (Maryland).

History

The company was born from an organ manufacturer in Hagerstown, under the leadership of the Danes Mathias Peter Moller with a bicycle factory in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), a Scotsman named Robert S. Crawford, and another businessman in Hagerstown, Henry Holzapfel.

In the years 1904/1905 created only two vehicles, small runabouts with 10 -hp two-cylinder motors and planetary gearboxes. In 1906 went on to four-seat touring car, which were equipped with four-cylinder in-line engines. So far this year 41 cars were manufactured. The engines came first from Rutenber, later solely by Continental. The chain drives were replaced by gimbals and the planetary gear through spur gears, which were installed at the rear (transaxle system). In 1910 275 cars were built, in 1913 came the first in-line six cylinder and from 1916 was built only six-cylinder car. Due to material shortages due to the First World War, production fell this year to 104 vehicles; in the following year there were only 38 pieces. A twelve-cylinder car was announced, but was never built.

In 1921, Moller was the sole owner. In addition, he founded another car brand, which he named after his daughter Dagmar. 1922 created 54 vehicles in 1923, only very few copies. In March 1924 the company named Moller in MP Moller Motor Car Company by, stopped the Crawford brand and launched in the press that the Dagmar would succeed.

Models

Swell

• Kimes, Beverly Ray & Clark jr. Henry Austin: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942, Krause Publications, Iola WI (1985 ), ISBN 0-87341-045-9