Crosslé Factory Visit: The new 92F single-seater delivers on its promises

The new 92F single-seater delivers on its promises

On May 5th, the first owners of the Crosslé 92F gathered on the coast of County Down to visit the historic Northern Irish factory where the cars destined for the Vintage Club Series are currently being built. The day concluded with a track session at the Kirkistown circuit. First verdict on track, a progress report on production, and confirmation: the championship’s momentum is officially underway.

A 1st group of 7 enthusiasts from all corners of the world

There were seven of them, hailing from France, Belgium, England, and the United States. Some are among the very first customers to have confirmed their order for a Crosslé 92F, the FFSA-homologated single-seater designed for the Vintage Club Series. For three days, they were welcomed by Caroline Crosslé, Paul McMorran, and the factory teams to discover, in situ, the car they will receive in the coming weeks. This visit was the first of a series: other groups will follow the same path as the chassis progress through the workshop.

Rory’s Wood, home of a factory unchanged since 1957

Tuesday morning, heading to Holywood. Tucked away from the main road, an outbuilding converted into a workshop surrounded by trees: it is here, in these very buildings, that John and Rosemary Crosslé began building racing cars in 1957. Nearly seventy years later, Crosslé Car Company is the oldest specialist racing car manufacturer still operating from its original period premises. The factory can only be visited by invitation: no showroom, no shop, no tourist route.

Paul McMorran, the factory’s Managing Director, personally guides the group from one station to the next. Welding the tubular chassis on the jig, blueprints, preparing the running gear, assembling the Ford Zetec engines, finishing the bodywork—each step is explained without haste. The first three 92Fs are there, at various stages of assembly: some are still bare tubular structures, others already paneled, ready to receive their front suspension. What a commercial brochure doesn’t tell you, the workshop shows you directly: the car is, in the strictest sense, handmade.

Chassis 00 of the Crosslé 92F sports a neutral white livery and incorporates the latest technical specifications imposed by the FFSA since its exhibition at the Rétromobile show in Paris at the end of January. The entirely handmade work is sublime. The single-seater is built just as it was back in the day, incorporating that unique craftsmanship that makes up the charm of an authentic single-seater whose design dates back to 1969, adapted for a more modern use.

The visit ends with a look at the factory’s visitors’ book, opened in 1958, which records every article published since the company’s creation, the names of their successive drivers, and their race results. Over the decades, you can read the names of Mansell, Watson, Boutsen, Irvine, Donnelly—all of whom raced a Crosslé before becoming who they are today.

Testing at Kirkistown: The car ticks the boxes, one by one

The afternoon was dedicated to testing production chassis 00 of the 92F on the Kirkistown circuit, a former RAF airfield where the factory has been testing its cars since the 1950s. After a briefing and a few recommendations, the clients took turns at the wheel for the pleasure of getting to grips with this new car.

The verdict is unambiguous

The engine first: the 1.8-liter naturally aspirated, carbureted Ford Zetec delivers a torque that is virtually identical to the 90F school car, with a wider powerband that makes the car instantly exploitable in racing conditions, without the need to constantly keep it at high revs. Reliability, the critical point of any new project, held up perfectly across all sessions—no technical intervention was needed between stints, exactly what is expected from a car designed to race seven weekends a year in the hands of amateur drivers.

The chassis proves to be stiffer than that of the 90F, offering sharper handling and firmer, more direct cornering support. Where the 90F prioritively focuses on a pedagogical compromise, the 92F fully embraces its true calling with even more direct driving sensations. The work on overall rigidity can be felt from the very first laps.

Finally, the structure of the roll cage, with the addition of side bars. Its design was particularly well thought out so as not to compromise cockpit access. Once slipped into the bucket seat, even for the tallest drivers in the group, you quickly forget about this addition compared to the original 90F chassis.

Ultimately, the 92F validates on track what was expected of it on paper: a car that has preserved all the original spirit, with the accessibility and predictable behavior already highly appreciated in the 90F, while bringing improved rigidity without reducing cockpit space.

First deliveries in mid-June, orders open until the end of the year

The Holywood workshop is now running at full capacity on the production of the first batches. The first Crosslé 92Fs will be delivered starting mid-June, and orders remain open for this year’s production run until December. Beyond that, given the artisanal nature of production, slots will naturally be limited. Owners competing in the first season of the Vintage Club Series therefore have every interest in securing their spots quickly.

This authentic and exclusive visit is accessible to anyone wishing to learn more about the manufacturing of the new single-seaters, and its cost is deducted from the purchase price of the 92F.

The continuation of a story that has lasted since 1957!

For any information regarding the Crosslé 92F and the Vintage Club Series: julien@classicracingschool.com — vintageclubseries.com