EXHIBIT 5.1
                          MORSE, ZELNICK, ROSE & LANDER
                         A LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP

                                 450 PARK AVENUE
                          NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022-2605
                                  212 838 1177
                                FAX 212 838 9190

                                 August 14, 2001

Hometown Auto Retailers, Inc.
774 Straits Turnpike
Watertown, Connecticut 06795

                     Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

      We have acted as counsel to Hometown Auto Retailers, Inc., a Delaware
corporation ("Hometown"), in connection with the preparation of a registration
statement on Form S-3 (the "registration statement") filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Act"), to register the sale by the selling stockholders of up to 1,662,494
shares of Class A common stock, par value $.001 per share (the "common stock"),
of Hometown.

      In this regard, we have reviewed the Certificate of Incorporation of
Hometown, as amended, resolutions adopted by Hometown's Board of Directors, the
registration statement, and such other records, documents, statutes and
decisions as we have deemed relevant in rendering this opinion. Based upon the
foregoing we are of the opinion that:

      Each share of common stock included in the registration statement has been
duly authorized for issuance and is now, or when issued upon exercise of or
pursuant to the terms of the instruments which they underlie will be, legally
issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

      Members of Morse, Zelnick, Rose & Lander, LLP own, in the aggregate,
60,000 shares of Hometown's common stock.

      We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the
registration statement and to the reference to our Firm in the related
prospectus under the heading "Legal Matters.". In giving this opinion, we do not
hereby admit that we are acting within the category of persons whose consent is
required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC
thereunder.

                                    Very truly yours,


                                    /s/ Morse, Zelnick, Rose & Lander, LLP
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                                    Morse, Zelnick, Rose & Lander, LLP