1950 Crosley Gardner Special

Sold for $27,500 at 2008 Automobiles of Amelia Island, RM Auctions.
Sold for $30,800 at 2013 Gooding and Company - Pebble Beach.
In 1953, Chuck Gardner of Glendale, California, built this Crosley Special based on a 1950 Hotshot. The Crosley Hotshot was produced by Powel Crosley, who had made a considerable fortune in radios and refrigerators. He turned his attention to the automobile industry and built a series of cars that bore his name. The cars were small and appealed to racing enthusiasts. They had a 750cc overhead cam 'monoblock' iron block engine that was very reliable and advanced. A nearly-stock Crosley Hotshot was entered in the first six-hour endurance race in 1950 at Sebring, Florida, where it emerged victoriously. The engines were later used in other cars, including Siata, Bandini, and Nardi.

This racing Special has an 841cc engine with dual carburetors and a performance header. The available 47-horsepower produced by the engine is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual MGTD gearbox. There are a Crosley rear end and 12-inch Halibrand magnesium sprint car wheels. Disc brakes can also be found at all four corners. The entire package is clothed with a body comprised of steel and aluminum resting on a wheelbase that measures 85 inches.

This car raced in Southern California in 1953 and 1954 with much success. It ran in the G-Modified class driven by Gardner where it either won outright or won his class at almost every outing. In 1955, it was sold to Jim Shaw, who re-styled the front end and modified the dashboard. It was then put into his private museum, where it was a stagnate display. The car would later pass through four more owners before being offered for sale at the 2008 Automobiles of Amelia Island presented by RM Auctions. It was offered without reserve and expected to sell for $18,000 - $22,000. It was sold above those estimates at $27,500, including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2008

Introduced in 1949 as a Super Hot Shot, the Crosley Hot Shot came with cut-down sides without doors or removable half doors. The Hot Shot was available at the low price of $849. With new styling that included integral fenders, a smooth hood, turn indicators (on sedans and convertibles), and sealed-beam headlights in upright pods, the 1949 was by far the best car produced by Crosley. An 80-inch wheelbase was found on convertible, station wagon, delivery and sedan models. On the new Hotshot roadster, the wheelbase was updated to an 85-inch. The main variances between the previous model and the Hot Shot was the super side script, the folding top rather than assembled and the red trim around the cockpit. Before 9' hydraulic brakes were installed in June, current roadsters came with 4-wheel Goodyear – Hawley aircraft-style disc brakes. This change was implemented due to the salt-filled country roads that caused freeze-up problems with the brakes.

While working on a U.S. Navy project during the war, Crosley used a block of brazed copper and sheet steel to develop the overhead cam four-cylinder. Eventually, postwar cars were installed with these 60 lb engines. Displacing 44 cubic inches, this five-main-bearing engine developed 26.5 hp at 5400 rpm. This engine was popular during the war in powering everything from Mooney Mite airplanes to truck refrigerators. Subject to electrolysis that resulted in holes to developing in cylinders, the copper-steel block was updated to a cast-iron block designed and built by Crosley in 1949. Keeping the original dimensions, this engine added much more stability to the vehicle.

Unfortunately, Crosley's reputation for unstable engines affected sales in the future. The 1949 model was produced in only 7431 units, this drop from 19,000 units for the 1947 model and 29,000 of the 1948s.

By Jessica Donaldson