Crossley Motors began in 1902 as the vehicle manufacturing arm of Crossley Brothers Ltd. It was originally based at the Crossley Brothers works in Pottery Lane, Openshaw, Manchester. In 1906, the company was registered as the limited company Crossley Motors Ltd and moved to a site in Crossley Street, Gorton, Manchester the following year. The company produced cars from 1904 to 1937 and commercial vehicles from 1912 to 1956. The commercial vehicle developed in 1912 became the basis of the highly successful Royal Flying Corps (RFC) tender in the First World War. In the 1920s commercial vehicle production centred on military types; buses were introduced in 1928. In 1914 expansion of Crossley Brothers at Pottery Lane led to the acquisition of a second site at Errwood Park, Heaton Chapel, Stockport. Construction of the Errwood Park Works began in 1915, but the site was quickly given over to war work. Crossley Motors Ltd managed the National Aircraft Factory No. 2 on the site from 1917. After the First World War, the site became the works for Willys Overland Crossley before being sold to Fairey Aviation in 1934. After the Second World War, the Errwood Park Works became the permanent home for Crossley Motors Ltd. Crossley Motors was sold to Associated Equipment Company in 1948, and production continued at the Stockport site until 1958. The company ceased trading in 1966.

Crossley Premier Engines Ltd was the re-registered name for Premier Gas Engines of Sandiacre, Nottingham. The company was acquired by Crossley Brothers Ltd in 1919 and retained its original name until the parent company issued shares in the Nottingham based subsidiary under its new name. The Nottingham works expanded as a result. From 1962, Crossley Premier Engines Ltd manufactured diesel engines on the French Pielstick design in an attempt to save parent company Crossley Brothers Ltd. The attempt failed, and the company was sold by the receivers to Bellis and Morcom in 1966. The name Crossley Premier was retained, but production at the Nottingham works ceased in 1966. Bellis and Morcom and its subsidiaries merged with the Amalgamated Power Engineering Group in 1968.