Powel Crosley Jr. was an inventor and car enthusiast and, like others before and after, wanted to develop and market his own car.
No stranger to innovation, Powel tried his hand at bringing his first car, dubbed the Marathon Six, to market in 1908. Unable to secure financial backing, he turned his attention to the radio, at the time an exciting new concept.
kAmrC@D=6J 62C?65 9:D A=246 :? :?5FDEC:2=:K65 p>6C:42 H96? 96 =62C?65 E@ >2?F724EFC6 2 C25:@ 7@C 2 7C24E:@? @7 E96 4@DE @7 E9@D6 @? E96 >2C<6E] w:D w2C<@ C25:@ H2D D@ DF446DD7F= E92E 3J `hac[ rC@D=6J C25:@D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 #@2>:@ >@56= >256 7@C 42CD[ H2D E96 =2C86DE >2?F724EFC6C @7 E96D6 56G:46D] (96? D@>6 4@?DF>6CD ?@E65 9:D :?6IA6?D:G6 C25:@D 925 =6DD E92? :562= C646AE:@?[ 96 4C62E65 2 9:89\A@H6C65 C25:@ DE2E:@? 2?5 56G6=@A65 E96 rC@D=6J qC@2542DE:?8 $JDE6>]k^Am
kAm}@E 4@?E6?E E@ C6DE @? 9:D DF446DD H:E9 C25:@D[ rC@D=6J G6?EFC65 :?E@ 9@FD69@=5 2AA=:2?46D 2?5 3C@F89E 7@CE9 9:D C67C:86C2E@C H:E9 D96=G6D :? E96 5@@C 42==65 E96 $96=G25@C[ H9:49 2E E96 E:>6 H2D BF:E6 :??@G2E:G6] p?@E96C rC@D=6J 2AA=:2?46 H2D E96 <6C@D6?6\A@H6C65 7C66K6C 42==65 E96 x4J32==[ 7@C 72C>6CD H9@ =24<65 6=64EC:4:EJ] x7 ?@E9:?8 6=D6[ !@H6= rC@D=6J’D AC@5F4ED 925 D@>6 4C62E:G6 ?2>6D]k^Am
kAmu:?2==J[ :? `hbh[ 56DA:E6 E96 A@=:E:42= H:?5D 3=@H:?8 E96 H@C=5 E@H2C5 H2C[ rC@D=6J :?EC@5F465 9:D E:?J[ 32C6\3@?6D 64@?@>J 42C] (:E9 9:D 7:?2?4:2= 7FEFC6 D64FC6[ 96 :?4@CA@C2E65 rC@D=6J |@E@CD H:E9 J@F?86C 3C@E96C {6H:D[ 2?5 3682? 2DD6>3=:?8 9:D 42C :? x?5:2?2]k^Am
kAm{:<6 9:D @E96C AC@5F4ED[ E96 8@2= H2D 2 D:>A=6[ 277@C523=6 2AA=:2?46 @7 2 G69:4=6 56D:8?65 E@ 36 D@=5 2=@?8D:56 9:D @E96C AC@5F4ED :? E96 56A2CE>6?E DE@C6] pE cg :?496D H:56[ E96J H6C6 56D:8?65 E@ 7:E E9C@F89 DE2?52C5 4@>>6C4:2= DE@C6 7C@?E 5@@CD 2?5 2DD6>3=65 :? 324< C@@>D] %9:D :?E6C6DE:?8 D2=6D >@56= ?6G6C C62==J E@@< 9@=5[ E9@F89[ 2?5 >@DE rC@D=6JD H6C6 D@=5 E9C@F89 5:DEC:3FE@CD9:AD 2E 82D DE2E:@?D 2?5 C6A2:C 82C286D]k^Am
kAmrC@D=6J’D @C:8:?2= 56D:8? H2D 2 EH@\5@@C 4@?G6CE:3=6 A@H6C65 3J 2 EH@\4J=:?56C 2:C\4@@=65 6?8:?6 C:5:?8 @? 2? g_\:?49 H966=32D6] qJ `hc`[ 2 7@FC\5@@C 4@?G6CE:3=6[ DE2E:@? H28@? 2?5 A:4<FA H6C6 :?EC@5F465[ 3FE 3J `hca AC@5F4E:@? 462D65 2D 5:5 2== >2?F724EFC:?8 ?@E 56DE:?65 7@C H2C >2E6C:6=] %9:D[ ;FDE 2D rC@D=6JD H6C6 364@>:?8 56D:C23=6 5F6 E@ 82D@=:?6 C2E:@?:?8 2?5 E96 ?@E23=J 9:89 82D >:=6286 @7 E96D6 >:4C@ 42CD @776C65]k^Am
kAmu@==@H:?8 (@C=5 (2C xx[ rC@D=6J :?EC@5F465 E96:C ?6H=J 56D:8?65 E9@F89 DE:== 5:>:?FE:G6 =:?6 @7 G69:4=6D E@ 2 AF3=:4 4=2>@C:?8 7@C ?6H AC@5F4ED] $EJ=:?8 C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D H6?E E@ 2? :?5FDEC:2= 56D:8? 9@FD6 E92E 2=D@ 56G6=@A65 AC@5F4ED DF49 2D >65:42= 6BF:A>6?E 2?5 G6?5:?8 >249:?6D[ 2?5 E96:C 7F?4E:@?2= AC24E:42=:EJ 42CC:65 E9C@F89]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6H >@56=D H6C6 A@H6C65 3J 2? :??@G2E:G6 6?8:?6 <?@H? 2D E96 r@qC2 3FE E9:D H2D ?@ r2C@= $96=3J >FD4=6 42C] r@qC2 H2D 2? 24C@?J> 7@C r@AA6C qC2K65[ 2?5 H2D 2? @77D9@@E @7 2? 6?8:?6 @C:8:?2==J 56G6=@A65 E@ A@H6C 86?6C2E@CD 2?5 E@CA65@6D 7@C E96 }2GJ] p=E9@F89 25G2?465 7@C E96 E:>6[ :?4@CA@C2E:?8 2? @G6C9625 42> D927E[ E96 =:BF:5\4@@=65[ 7@FC\4J=:?56C 6?8:?6 6D496H65 2 4@?G6?E:@?2= 42DE\:C@? 6?8:?6 3=@4< :? 72G@C @7 4@AA6C\3C2K65[ DE2>A65 DE66=] w@H6G6C[ E9:D F?4@?G6?E:@?2= 6?8:?6 H2D AC@?6 E@ CFDE 2?5 @G6C962E[ AC@>AE:?8 rC@D=6J E@ C6A=246 :E H:E9 2 >@C6 EC25:E:@?2= 42DE\:C@? 3=@4< 7@FC\4J=:?56C H:E9:? 2 76H J62CD]k^Am
kAm%96 rxqp — r2DE xC@? q=@4< pDD6>3=J — 6?8:?6 A@H6C65 =2E6C rC@D=6J 42CD 2?5 H2D @776C65 2E 4@DE 2D 2 C6A=246>6?E 7@C 62C=:6C 42CD FE:=:K:?8 E96 AC@3=6>2E:4 r@qC2 6?8:?6]k^Am
kAmp EH@\5@@C DE2E:@? H28@? 2?5 A2?6= 56=:G6CJ ;@:?65 E96 A:4<FA 2?5 EH@\5@@C D652? :? `hcf] x>AC@G6>6?ED 42>6 :? E96 7@C> @7 C@==\FA H:?5@HD E@ C6A=246 E96 D=:5:?8 D:56 H:?5@HD 2?5 6=64EC:4 H:A6CD :? `hch] p=D@ :?EC@5F465 :? `hch H6C6 5:D4 3C2<6D[ E96 7:CDE @776C65 @? 2 AC@5F4E:@? 42C] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96D6 H6C6 D@FC465 7C@> 2:C4C27E :?G6?E@CJ 2?5 E96:C 2==@J 4@?DECF4E:@? H2D AC@?6 E@ CFDE 7C@> D2=EJ C@25D 2?5 3C2<6 7256 H96? FD65 4@?E:?F@FD=J[ F?=:<6 E96 D9@CE\3C2<:?8 4J4=6 E:>6D 2? 2:CA=2?6 C6BF:C6D]k^Am
kAm%96 J62C `hch 2=D@ D2H E96 :?EC@5F4E:@? @7 E96 rC@D=6J w@E $9@E[ 2 EH@\D62E C@25DE6C E92E AC@G65 23=6 E@ 36 4@>A6E:E:G6 H:??:?8 :ED 4=2DD :? E96 `hd_ $63C:?8 6?5FC2?46 C246[ 2D H6== 2D DEC@?8 A6C7@C>2?46D :? ?F>6C@FD C68:@?2= DA@CED 42C C24:?8 6G6?ED]k^Am
kAm&E:=:EJ H2D rC@D=6J’D 36?49>2C<[ 2?5 :? `hd_ E96J 3C@F89E E96 u2C>\~\#@25 E@ >2C<6E] %9:D >:?: y66A\=:<6 G69:4=6 H2D 42A23=6 @7 6>A=@J:?8 G2C:@FD 72C> :>A=6>6?ED H9:=6 5F2= C62C H966=D H6C6 >256 62DJ E@ :?DE2== 7@C 25565 DE23:=:EJ 2?5 EC24E:@? 3FE BF:4<=J C6>@G65 7@C C@25 FD6] xE H2D >@C6 =:<6 2 >@56C?[ E9@F89 AC:>:E:G6[ D:56\3J\D:56 p%']k^Am
kAmqFE 2D p>6C:42 6?E6C65 E96 `hd_D[ 4@?DF>6CD H6C6 :?72EF2E65 H:E9 6G6C 3:886C 42CD[ 2?5 4962A 82D >256 E96 D>2== rC@D=6J D66> @3D@=6E6] qJ `hda[ !@H6= rC@D=6J 925 :?G6DE65 >F49 @7 9:D A6CD@?2= 7@CEF?6 :?E@ 9:D 2FE@>@E:G6 A2DD:@?[ 3FE D2=6D ?6G6C 249:6G65 E96 =6G6= @7 DF446DD 96’5 :>28:?65] %96 724E@CJ H2D 4=@D65 2?5 D@=5[ 3FE 56C:G2E:G6D @7 E96 6?8:?6 H6?E @? E@ A@H6C 492:? D2HD[ @FE3@2C5 >@E@CD 2?5 C67C:86C2E@C F?:ED @? D6>: EC2:=6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 u2C>\~\#@25 6G6? 6?;@J65 2 3C:67 4@>6324< 2D E96 rC@7E@? qF8 >2?F724EFC65 3J rC@7E@? |2C:?6]k^Am
kAm!6C92AD E96 rC@D=6J H2D 29625 @7 :ED E:>6] %96 G69:4=6D @776C65 >2?J :??@G2E:@?D[ D@=5 :?6IA6?D:G6=J[ 2?5 2=H2JD 96=5 ECF6 E@ !@H6= rC@D=6J’D :562=D] |2J36 :7 96’5 ;FDE 4@>6 FA H:E9 >@C6 4=6G6C ?2>6D]k^Am
kAmk6>mtC:4 2?5 |:496==6 |6=EK6C @H? 2?5 @A6C2E6 uCJ63FC8 |@E@CD[ 2 =:46?D65[ 7F==\D6CG:46 2FE@>@E:G6 D2=6D 2?5 D6CG:46 724:=:EJ 2E ahh |2:? $E] :? uCJ63FC8[ |2:?6] |@C6 E92? 2 3FD:?6DD[ 42CD 2C6 2 A2DD:@?[ 2?5 E96J 2AAC64:2E6 2?JE9:?8 E92E 5C:G6D[ C:56D[ 7=@2ED @C 7=:6D]k^6>mk^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.