Walter Chrysler created DeSoto in an attempt to compete with Detroit rivals in the mid-price segment of the late '20s market. Named after the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, it was introduced as a 1929 model. During the early years of the depression, sales fared well, as the company was situated at the lower end of the mid-price tier, just under Dodge. The first twelve months saw 81,065 vehicles delivered--a record that would stand nearly three decades.
In 1933, Chrysler Corp switched the hierarchal order; Dodge was moved down market and DeSoto up. That, combined with the unpopular Airflow body-style Chrysler introduced in 1934, led to sales falling from 22,736 to 13,940. Production would immediately rebound with the Airstream body-style in 1935, with 27,581 combined units sold.
The world's first three-way radios were installed in Eastchester, NY police department's 1937 S-3 squad cars. 1942 saw the... View more addition of concealed headlamps to the S-10 model. They were marketed as "Airfoil" lights. "Out of Sight except at Night" was the tagline. Pre-war production ended in February 1942.
To help with the war effort, the company assembled fuselages, parts for anti-aircraft cannons, and airplane sections. But converting the factory back to civilian economy production proved difficult, thanks in part to troubles with material sourcing and labor strife. 1946 models wouldn't be introduced until March of that calendar year. When the models arrived, they dropped the pre-war naming system in favor of Deluxe and Custom designations. The Custom line was dropped in 1952 in favor of the Firedome. Those models featured a 276-ci V8 with hemispherical combustion chambers. In 1953, the six-cylinder models were renamed Powermasters, and eight-cylinder versions continued as Firedomes.
A major redesign came across the line-up in 1955, featuring Virgil Exner's "Forward Look" philosophy. 1956 saw the Indianapolis 500 Race paced for the first and only time by a DeSoto. But a national recession saw sales take a major dive during the 1959 model year, and unfortunately, they never recovered.
Among the most collectable DeSotos are the Adventurers. Initially a special high-performance 1956 model, similar to Chrysler's 300 line, it became the top trim level, expanding the model range. In 1957 the hard top was joined by a convertible, and that model year was especially noteworthy for DeSoto, as the company had the first base model in the U.S. to provide one horsepower per cubic inch. 1960 was the last year for Adventurer production, with the convertible being replaced in the line-up by a four-door hard top and sedan.
Rumors about Chrysler shutting down the failing brand started circulating in 1959. By 1961, DeSoto model nomenclature left completely, with all cars marked simply as "DeSoto." The company's two- and four-door hard tops were produced for just 47 days, which proved long enough to exhaust a stored supply of parts. After a comprehensive production of just over two million vehicles built since 1928, the final DeSoto rolled off the line in November of 1960. View less
