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As Basic As It Gets: 1951 Crosley Hotshot

1951 Crosley Hot Shot

We’ve actually featured quite a few Crosley Hotshots over the years and every time, we think to ourselves how much fun it would be to have one! They aren’t the fastest sports car, they are actually quite slow, but these things are as basic as it gets. With a curb weight of just 1,100 pounds, handling is the Hotshots strong point, the engine not so much. With just 26 horsepower, don’t expect much in the acceleration or top speed department. That being said, they are still fun little cars! This one has been parked for a few years, as the previous owner started restoring it but never finished. The seller bought it a few years back, but they also didn’t get around to finishing it. It looks like all the major work has been done, so it might be a simple project to finish up and have some fun with! You can find it here on eBay in Kelliher, Minnesota with a BIN of $8,500.

1951 Crosley Hotshot Engine

Apparently all the major systems were gone through, including the engine. The seller claims the gas tank hasn’t had fuel in it since being rebuilt and the radiator is the same story as well. While it’s nice to know the engine is still freshly rebuilt, it would be nice to know that it runs as it should. It turns freely, so hopefully getting it running will be simple. The brakes are also going to need work, as they currently aren’t working. Getting those working should be an easy task though, remember these cars are super small and basic!

1951 Crosley Hotshot

The interior looks good and has already been redone. The transmission tunnel is missing and I have no idea where you will find a replacement. You’ll also have to find a new top, as the original top is missing. The bows are there and appear to have been restored, so you’ll just need new canvas. There weren’t many of these built, so finding parts could be a challenge. With an asking of $8,500, I’m left wondering if it would be better to just get this running and driving Hotshot that has also been listed on eBay, but for $10,500. So the question is, will you be able to get this project up and running, with a new top and tunnel for less than $2k? What do you think?

Comments

  1. Avatar JamestownMike

    Sorry, but it looks like a clown car to me!

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  2. Avatar RON

    He may get the price That is a pretty nice example. I have a friend that has one in his collection of crosleys. they are sought after by the Crosley guys

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  3. Avatar Dave Wright

    Shriner cars……………….

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  4. Avatar Rancho Bella

    Crosley had quite the racing history. From track cars to engines in race boats. I would love to have Crosley Farm o’ Road

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  5. Avatar Scotty G

    Please tell me that at least 95% of folks here have heard of the Crosley Corporation and have seen these Crosley vehicles before? I’m just trying to ward off at least some of the clown-car comments, if that’s even remotely possible.

    This is a good buy, but the missing title worries me a bit.

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  6. Avatar Glen

    I think for the extra $2000.00, it’s the better choice. It runs, has the top, I assume the brakes are good, is a low mileage car, and has a title.

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  7. Avatar Texas Tea

    Neat looking little car and would be fun to putter around in. If it had been mine I would have at least covered it with a blanket, sheet,…………..something to keep the dust off.

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  8. Avatar John H Bell

    These things look like they came from an amusement park kiddie ride.

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  9. Avatar Clay Bryant

    Check the Sebring results in the early 50s………………best in class

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  10. Avatar David Member

    Crosley did indeed have a racing history with these little cars. Here’s a Braje equipped engine. There were lots of performance parts available. Here’s a link to an old parts catalog. http://www.crosleycars.com/braje.htm Crosley made appliances, radios and cars. They developed the “CoBra” engine, a high performance engine designed for military use and adspted to the civilian market after World War ll. (It was a sheet metal engine!?)

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  11. Avatar Ben T Spanner

    My friend had one as a daily driver 1967. It had a Braje head and a Lancia 4 speed non-synchromesh gear box. I remember it having disk brakes with round pucks/pads, maybe those were on the Super Sports, which came with disk brakes and no doors.

    His other daily driver was a Porsche speedster. Both were ratty and had cost him less than a thousand, for both. My daily driver was a 1954 Porsche; not very ratty, but very cheap. You could buy running Porsches, Alfas, 100-4 Healeys, and others for next to nothing.

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  12. Avatar Jan

    There is one significant problem that I see…..Crosley Hotshots did not have doors.
    Somewhere along the line these doors have been added.

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    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      The Hotshot didn’t have doors, but Crosley also offered the Super Sports which was essentially the came thing with doors.

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  13. Avatar Jan

    OK!
    This is a good day….I learned something.
    My father owned two vehicles and we thought that they were both Hotshots.
    But since one had doors we thought that they had been added by an earlier owner.
    The quality of the door “modification” looked very much like an amature job.
    We had never heard of Crosley Super Sports.

    I have thought many times that we should have hung on to the Hotshot.
    Now it looks as though we should have kept both!

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  14. Avatar OttoNobedder

    The Sedans/Trucks/Wagons had cable-operated mechanical brakes?!?!?
    The HotShot had hydraulic/disc brakes-of which most pieces these days are made of
    un-obtanium

    Like 0

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