Lot details
Registration No: MFC 60G
Chassis No: CR003
Mot Expiry: None

Like so many other British car constructors of the post-war era, John Crossle's first creation was a Ford Special, which he completed in 1957. In the following years his Crossle Car Company, based at Holywood, near Belfast, became by far the longest established Irish racing car manufacturer, both North and South of the border. Although there were forays into senior formulae, with Formula Atlantic/B, F3 and F2, and even F5000 chassis, Crossle shrewdly concentrated on more realistic markets, most of them employing Ford power. More than 40 of the Leslie Drysdale designed Crossle Formula Ford 16s were sold. Even though production numbers declined, the Northern Ireland firm continued to build FF single seaters through the 1980s.
Crossle sports-racing cars helped to establish the marque on the Continental mainland. In 1966, five C9S sports-cars with rear-mounted Ford Lotus Twin Cam motor and Hewland Mk5 transmission in a spaceframe chassis with stressed aluminium panels and glassfibre bodywork were built, three of them for private customers and two of them retained by the works. Successful drivers of the C9S in period included Tom Watson, John L'Amie and the Right Honourable Mervyn Winyfield.
The C9S offered here is now 2-litre 4-cylinder Opel Lotus powered. Chassis number CR003 was run at the 1992 Dundrod Classic, won a hillclimb outright in 1993 and was driven by marque founder John Crossle himself during the 30 years celebration. Chassis, body, paintwork, interior, engine and gearbox are all described as being in good order.
PLEASE NOTE:
Further to our conversation with Arnie Black at the Crossle factory we can state that the original cars were a 1966 production item but two cars were built in the 1970s by Crossle staff, to virtually original specification, but with minor changes, for their own use. These cars are therefore effectively replicas but not the replicas produced later by Crossle where the specification was further removed from the original.
The car in question is one of the two 'mechanic' cars, there is no mystery over it and it is well known. Further information from the vendor suggests that this example was actually built by Crossle chief mechanic Stephen Patton for his own use.