The Crosley Hotshot
In the mid-20th Century, Crosley was known for producing low end and affordable cars. In 1949, with the hope of changing their reputation, they introduced the Hotshot sports car. Not a lot of people know that Crosley was responsible for the American sports car’s reintroduction to the postwar market. Even though the Hotshot was everything Crosley wanted, the car wasn’t a good seller. The problem might be the design. The car featured hinged doors and was low to the ground. Customers just didn’t like that, and they were also not fond of the Farm-O-Road car which Crosley tried to sell next.
The Crosley Hotshot
The King Midget III
Introduced in 1957, the King Midget III was a microcar that was smaller than a Crosley. The Midget III was basically a runabout that was 117 inches long and weighed 690 pounds. You could buy one for around $900 in 1958, which seems like quite a steal in the economy today! By 1970, the car was put to sleep and in 1966, the company was sold off by the original makers to retire. In three years, the new owners had no choice but to declare bankruptcy. In one year, there were only 15 units produced, which officially signalled the end.
The King Midget III
