Everything you wnated to know about Crosley Washing Equipment

Well from what the picture states...they had a much longer association than previous. My guess is that for a time, they must have had a working arrangement like Kenmore w/ Sears. Outsourcing the names of the parent company Avco Mfg., with the manufacturing being done by the Bendix Home Appliance Divsion of South Bend.

Or to relate to my first case, RCA/Whirlpool/Seager Co's, manufacturing for Sears Roebuck and Company, for their private Kenmore label. It may well be a stretch of the imagination, but it seem like a good thought process to me.

I was recently in South Bend Indiana, and go there mainly for the Studebaker National Museum, and where you can see a few remaining structures of the Studebaker complex. Eerie and sad, I decided on my first aftenoon to do a "find" of where Bendix was located.

I went out west of town on Colfax Avenue, and switched over to Mc Kinley...after driving around for what seemed to be a while.. I got onto Sample Street that goews from Mishawaka, all the way thru SouthBend and ends up becoming a short highway that dead nds back into 80-90. I finally spotted where the Bendix Home Appliance institute was; 3300 W. Sample.

Because not only did it still say it on the front of the building, but the current occupants told me that (it's a partly a resale shop now) that it was a part of Bendix, and they did test washers there.

You woldn't have known it, by the current looks of the place.

I asked them where the factories were, and I was told that they were fairly close to where Studebaker Corporation was. And then the old lady of the store said that many of these structures were demolished in the late 1960's, and even more so as of late. In fact i was told that their current baseball stadium that just sprang up over the last few years was built on once upon a time Bendix soil.

I headed back to my motel in Niles Mi, ...never more dissappointed by progress. But the "institute" is still there as of July of this year...but I don't know how MUCH longer as they also siad that thier property was up for sale, due to the high crime rate, and poor reception of resale in an obviously depressed area.

south Bend if ou really look does depress you. Because their is still enough "abandoned industry" , to see that this town was once bustling with activity...with both auto's and Appliances.

Bendix Corporation still has some operations in South Bend, in fact they puchased Studebaker's proving grounds out on Buisness Route 19 south east of town where from above there are evergreen tree's that still spell out the word Studebaker, when it's Bendix that owns it. Bough it proper in summer of 1966.

Anyway...that's my info for now....Jee I should have started another thread for this topic...


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Post# 45538 9/21/2004 at 19:02 (7,153 days old) by programcomputer (Ann Arbor Michigan, USA)
Checkrate/Likes Hi guys, I found this advert. on e-bay and was wondering abou the genesis of the machines shown. Any info on these...and has anyone found anything like this? I would really like to know more about them.... Thanks Chad

Post# 45540 , Reply# 1 9/21/2004 at 19:17 (7,153 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)
Checkrate/Likes *Set your heart on a Crosley but make your check out to Bendi* Crosley appliances were made by Bendix (both divisions of Avco Inc.) and also had a line of kitchen cabinets, refrigerators, freezers, ranges and dishwashers made by D&M.

Post# 45543 , Reply# 2 9/21/2004 at 19:47 (7,153 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)
Checkrate/Likes *New Crosley....* It's interesting that ad is from the late 40's/early 50's,but the Crosley name is still being used today,I think on a line from Maytag/Admiral.

Post# 45545 , Reply# 3 9/21/2004 at 19:53 (7,153 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)
Checkrate/Likes *Crosley name goes on...* You're right, the Crosley name was bought by a company that supplies small, independent dealers throughout the country. (although I've heard of it in some larger stores too) Strangely, Crosley only offered a line of laundry appliances in 1954 and they didn't last long - only a year or so. This is the only design (plus the squeeze-tub washer) I've seen with the Crosley name.

Post# 45547 , Reply# 4 9/21/2004 at 20:10 (7,153 days old) by Brent-Aucoin ()
Checkrate/Likes *What a shame they did not last* I have seen this ad before a few times. I think that it is such an attractive set. Where did you guys hear that they were made by Bendix? I wonder if there is a set like this out there somewhere. Brent

Post# 45552 , Reply# 5 9/21/2004 at 21:26 (7,153 days old) by kreftgr ()
Checkrate/Likes *Maytag & Whirlpool* The Crosley line of laundry is presently being made by both Maytag & Whirlpool. Glen.

Post# 45573 , Reply# 6 9/22/2004 at 07:14 (7,153 days old) by programcomputer (Ann Arbor Michigan, USA)
Checkrate/Likes *Thanks* Thanks for the info. I wondered who did these interesting machines. They aren't the "most" attractive things that were out there in 1954, but some were worse. I wonder if these machines needed to be bolted down like some of the Bendix's did. I take it from the number of dials that the washer was on the right and the dryer on the left respectively. Anyones guess is prob as good as mine. I just saw this ad, and hadn't seen it myself before and wondered about the genesis of the machine. Chad

Post# 45574 , Reply# 7 9/22/2004 at 07:40 (7,153 days old) by programcomputer (Ann Arbor Michigan, USA)
Checkrate/Likes *On Auburn Cord Duesenberg and appliances....* Oh Yeah, While I was posting the last one, did anyone know that when Erret Lobban Cord decided to abandon automobiles in 1937 including the beautiful if mechanically maligned Cord 812; that the shell of what was left became AVCO! This is what happened... 1. April 20, 1940 the Indiana federal court approved a reorganization plan for the failed company which was renamed Auburn Central Mfg. Co. 2. March 3, 1942- The company was renamed American Central Mfg. Co. 3. June 1945- postwar plans were laid out for A-C to build Admiral refrigerators , and it's kitchen cabinet and sink lines went into production under the trade names "American Kitchens" and "Crosley Kitchens" after negotiations with the latter firm. 4. November 20, 1946 The company was merged into it's corporate parent as American Central Division. 5. March 25, 1947 The name was changed again to the AVCO Mfg. Corporation. 6. December 31, 1951 The entire Connersville operation became the American Kitchens Div. 7. September 1956 Avco Mfg. Co. purchased outright the Bendix Home Appliance Division of South Bend Indiana. A manufacturer of home laundry equipment. 8. December 1957, The AK Division which it was renamed, left the corporation when AVCO sold it's American Kitchens line. 8. January 1st, 1959 The Former Cord Corporation which on April 9th of that year would assume it's present name of AVCO Corp. sold much of it's Connersville operations including the dishwasher, sink and cabinet buisness, to the Design and Manufacturing Corp, and it's laundry line to Philco a divison of Ford Motor Company. This is all written in text in the book- Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg by Don Butler in the Post Production section of his book copyright 1992. No I don't have permission to quote word for word..but I dont think he would care...... But that is what happened to Crosley Bendix and what became Philco Chad Unless anyone else has info that makes that incorrect?

Post# 45582 , Reply# 8 9/22/2004 at 11:27 (7,152 days old) by lesto (Atlanta)
Checkrate/Likes Some of you old movie fans might recognize Margaret Lindsay in the Crosley ad. She's in alot of Warner Bros. films from the 1930's & 40's. In the 50's Crosley briefly made window unit ac's as well. My old next door nbeighbor had one that was very similar to the mid-50's GE that was found here recently.

Post# 45594 , Reply# 13 9/22/2004 at 15:48 (7,152 days old) by westytoploader ()
Checkrate/Likes When I had my Maytag TT, it washed well and really got clothes dry; took 30 minutes in the dryer. Unfortunately, it wasn't in good shape, had endless diverter valve and pump problems and it got so bad that water would go from the washtub into the spin tub, and leaked frequently. I had to get rid of it since no one could use it, but did salvage the wash & spin motors, impellers, spin basket, diverter valve, timer, and impeller drive belt. I really liked the machine and hated lifting the shell on the forklift into the dumpster instead of someone else doing it...a sad day because I knew its fate...:( I really hope to find another one in better condition; Maytag twinnies are great machines. I'm also counting on finding a Hoover TT one of these days as well, just to play with for a while. --Austin

Post# 45596 , Reply# 14 9/22/2004 at 15:49 (7,152 days old) by westytoploader ()
Checkrate/Likes OOPS! I wasn't exactly thinking clearly...LOL Robert, can you please move my last post into the "Hoover Electric Dryer" thread?

Post# 45586 , Reply# 9 9/22/2004 at 14:11 (7,152 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)
Checkrate/Likes Interesting dateline, Chad, thanks for posting it. I wonder if there were ties to Bendix appliances prior to 1956, I have a user's manual for a Bendix gas dryer and purchase reciept dated Feb. 1953. The back cover of the manual states Bendix, a division of Avco. I have scans from a Crosley brochure, I'll post them now.

Post# 45587 , Reply# 10 9/22/2004 at 14:13 (7,152 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)
Checkrate/Likes *Crosley Laundry Line 1954* Here is the first page... "Deluxamatic" - I love it!

Post# 45588 , Reply# 11 9/22/2004 at 14:14 (7,152 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)
Checkrate/Likes *2nd page* pg 2

Post# 45590 , Reply# 12 9/22/2004 at 14:54 (7,152 days old) by westie2 ()
Checkrate/Likes The Rollamatic in the last post is just like the Bendix Economatic that my grandparents had. Grandmother would fill for wash plug the sink and when it drained for wash would catch the water then would take out the clothes hand dish the water back into the washer add enough hot water to finish filling then start another load of wash. When all the wash was done she then rinsed everything and let it squeese dry all the clothes then hang them out. Really more work than a wringer washer. They had it from about 1953 through 1962 when the tub had a nail poked through it. They then went with a Whirlpool that had the clear plastic side filter with the brushes.

Post# 45653 , Reply# 15 9/23/2004 at 18:49 (7,151 days old) by programcomputer (Ann Arbor Michigan, USA)
Checkrate/Likes *On Bendix and Avco....* Well from what the picture states...they had a much longer association than previous. My guess is that for a time, they must have had a working arrangement like Kenmore w/ Sears. Outsourcing the names of the parent company Avco Mfg., with the manufacturing being done by the Bendix Home Appliance Divsion of South Bend. Or to relate to my first case, RCA/Whirlpool/Seager Co's, manufacturing for Sears Roebuck and Company, for their private Kenmore label. It may well be a stretch of the imagination, but it seem like a good thought process to me. I was recently in South Bend Indiana, and go there mainly for the Studebaker National Museum, and where you can see a few remaining structures of the Studebaker complex. Eerie and sad, I decided on my first aftenoon to do a "find" of where Bendix was located. I went out west of town on Colfax Avenue, and switched over to Mc Kinley...after driving around for what seemed to be a while.. I got onto Sample Street that goews from Mishawaka, all the way thru SouthBend and ends up becoming a short highway that dead nds back into 80-90. I finally spotted where the Bendix Home Appliance institute was; 3300 W. Sample. Because not only did it still say it on the front of the building, but the current occupants told me that (it's a partly a resale shop now) that it was a part of Bendix, and they did test washers there. You woldn't have known it, by the current looks of the place. I asked them where the factories were, and I was told that they were fairly close to where Studebaker Corporation was. And then the old lady of the store said that many of these structures were demolished in the late 1960's, and even more so as of late. In fact i was told that their current baseball stadium that just sprang up over the last few years was built on once upon a time Bendix soil. I headed back to my motel in Niles Mi, ...never more dissappointed by progress. But the "institute" is still there as of July of this year...but I don't know how MUCH longer as they also siad that thier property was up for sale, due to the high crime rate, and poor reception of resale in an obviously depressed area. south Bend if ou really look does depress you. Because their is still enough "abandoned industry" , to see that this town was once bustling with activity...with both auto's and Appliances. Bendix Corporation still has some operations in South Bend, in fact they puchased Studebaker's proving grounds out on Buisness Route 19 south east of town where from above there are evergreen tree's that still spell out the word Studebaker, when it's Bendix that owns it. Bough it proper in summer of 1966. Anyway...that's my info for now....Jee I should have started another thread for this topic...

Post# 45654 , Reply# 16 9/23/2004 at 18:54 (7,151 days old) by programcomputer (Ann Arbor Michigan, USA)
Checkrate/Likes *Sorry I thought that was another Bendix ad that I have found* Instead it's the prettiest Frigi...that I have ever seen. Reminds me of the 58' Westinghouse control panels. Chad

Post# 45655 , Reply# 17 9/23/2004 at 19:14 (7,151 days old) by Brent-Aucoin ()
Checkrate/Likes *Great Brochures Greg!* That is a stunning set to me. Has anyone ever come across either a Crosley washer or dryer? Even though they are made by Bendix, I just love the style of the washer/dryer set. Thanks for posting the Brochures. Brent

Post# 45659 , Reply# 18 9/23/2004 at 19:48 (7,151 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)
Checkrate/Likes *great brochures* Thanks Brent, I was lucky to find that on the early Crosley line. I don't think many have seen a Crosley washer and dryer, although I did find a top and cabinet to the dryer on the South Dakota farm. I brought back the dryer door just for fun.

Post# 45660 , Reply# 19 9/23/2004 at 19:50 (7,151 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)
Checkrate/Likes *On Bendix and Avco...* Thanks for the virtual trip through South Bend, IN. It sounds like that city has met the same fate as many other cities around that part of the country with the loss of manufacturing over the years.