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Pocket Project: 1951 Crosley Hotshot

How many times have you wished that you had a cool classic car that you could squeeze into your garage?  With a little practice you could easily navigate this Crosley next to your lawn mower, bikes, and other stuff that often gets condemned to the garage. Found in a barn and thought to have around 38,000 original miles, this Hotshot project is a solid start to that tiny classic you’ve always wanted. With some spares included, this Crosley is offered for $2,800. Check it out here on craigslist out of Winnetka, Illinois. Thanks to Clarke B. for the pocket sized submission!

Beneath the hood of this tiny roadster lies a small little engine with an overhead camshaft. Displacing 750cc and boasting 4 cylinders, this engine is capable of generating roughly 26 horsepower. Despite its low power, this engine is quite light and was used in racing and marine applications. This specific engine is in unknown condition, other than its supposed 38,000 “original” miles. I am weary as there is an extra engine that is included in the sale. Worst case scenario, this engine is dead, and the spares could be used to build up a runner. The plug wires have been pulled off of the plugs, and the air filter assembly is missing but there appears to be no major missing components. The engine compartment has little in the way of corrosion except for the battery tray which looks a bit rusty for sure.

Incredibly simple, the interior appears in reasonable condition for a car of this age. The seats have a charming character that can only be gained through time and use. The floors are rock solid in this Crosley, so perhaps you would enjoy making this a driving restoration.

While appearing mostly solid, this Crosley is far from perfect. At some point in time someone gave this car a face lift, which isn’t exactly an improvement to say the least. The additional cooling could be beneficial to a high strung “high power” engine, but otherwise I would guess that this American micro was involved in a fender bender. A set of wooden doors are affixed with some low tech catches to keep them from flying open around corners. Gratuitous amounts of primer have been used likely to prevent the spread of rust, but thankfully there is little rust to be seen on the exterior of this tiny convertible. Although there appears to be matching sheet metal rips on either side of the dash cowl. Certainly not a mint condition project, this small car would be fun to get on the road and improve upon while enjoying its small character. Do you have room in your garage for this tiny project?

Comments

  1. Avatar Fred w.

    I see this was made two years after they had dispensed with the “sheetmetal” engine. I found this statement online about Crosely racing:

    “Regardless of its short life and small size, the Hotshot is well remembered as a phenomenal sports car within its class. A Hotshot won the 1950 Sam Collier Memorial Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance Six Hours,[5] (averaging a blistering 52 mph) and a Siata 300 fitted with Crosley power won the SCCA’s 12 hour Vero Beach race. Throughout, the 1950s Crosley engines dominated 750 cc sports car racing, winning 10 out of 12 SCCA west-coast races alone.”

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  2. Avatar James HGF

    Ah yes, the fist postwar Crosleys were Cobra powered; CoBra – copper brazed.

    Crosleys and their derivations gather:

    http://crosleykook.blogspot.com/2017/11/2017-west-coast-crosley-meet-report_4.html

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Ben T. Spanner

    In the late 1960’s a friend had a Crosley Super Sport or Hot Shot with a Lancia 5 speed crash box. One of these models was available with disk brakes. As I recall they had small round pucks or pads.

    Powell Crosley also developed the Shelv-a-door refrigerator. One of the first with shelves in the door; something we all use today.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar JagManBill

    don’t forget that a Hotshot won the inaugural Sebring race in 1950 on an index of performance

    Like 0

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