Powell Crosley Jr. was a leading tycoon of his era. He started out in radio--the first small appliance designed to make noise. Then he moved onto bigger things like refrigerators and cars.

The original Crosley vehicle, around World War II, had an engine made of stamped and welded sheet metal which proved to be troublesome. And it had early disc brakes that were prone to rust. Conventional designs were retrofitted--but severe damage had been done to the brand.

Crosley hit the wall when the seller's market for cars disappeared in the early 50s. His light, cheap, tiny vehicle was nobody's first choice. The Crosley company continued with radio and TV in Ohio and elsewhere, but the 1952 Crosley car was the last.

This one is a rare station wagon, its hood secured by a bungee cord, rusting along a narrow bypassed section of the National Road.