1950 Crosley Hot Shot

Powel Crosley was a strong believer and champion of the small car market, and during the early 1900s, he built a cyclecar but its market was soon decimated by the arrival of the Ford Model T. He then turned his talents and attention to radios and refrigerators, turning his Cincinnati business into one of the success stories of the Great Depression era. The Crosley radios were very successful, competing against William Sarnoff's RCA for home units and with Paul Galvin's Motorola for the then-new field of automobile radios.

With his newly established fortune, Crossley re-entered the small car market in the late 1930s with a 2-cylinder air-cooled car. World War II temporarily halted civilian production as Crosley switched to building 44 cubic-inch four-cylinder engines in support of the war effort. The small engine was built with a copper-brazed sheet metal water jacket, and it was renowned for its size and low weight. Following World War II, Crosley used these 'COBRA' (as it was known) engines to power a new line of automobiles.

Crosley claimed the four-cylinder engine delivered 26.5 brake horsepower, with the same output from the later revised cast-iron block 'CIBA' engine. The promote the performance of the Crosley, a new Hot Shot roadster model was introduced, with doors being optional. They were simple and lightweight, combining performance with economy.

The Hotshot had a 137-inch length, and 85-inch wheelbase, weighed 1,095 pounds, and was priced at $849. Disc brakes at all four corners provided the stopping power, and the rear suspension used coil springs, and single-leaf quarter-elliptical leaf springs that doubled as torque rods.

This spartan vehicle had non-folding soft top and side curtains (which could be stowed away when not needed), no trunk lid, and the spare wheel was mounted on the down-sloping rear deck. To access the rear storage space, the seat backs folded forward allowing the necessary room.

The 44 cubic-inch engine was installed behind the front axle, resulting in a front mid-engined layout. The transmission was a three-speed manual and the top speed was in excess of 80 mph. A 'Super' version was added to the lineup in 1950, with solid hinged doors and a fold-down top that did not need to be stowed. The following year, the 'Super' Hotshot simply became the Super Sports.

At the 1950 Six Hours of Sebring, a Hotshot won the Sam Collier Memorial Endurance Grand Prix and the 'index of performance' award. They were very successful throughout the 1950s in the 750cc sports car racing category, including winning 10 out of 12 SCCA west-coast races, along with other accolades.

Crosley produced the Hotshot from 1949 through 1952, with 2,498 examples built. The Hotshot is considered America's first post-war sports car.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2020