Car Spot: 1954 DeSoto Fireflite

It went from sitting pretty to utter doom in just three years

Do you remember DeSoto cars? I vaguely remember seeing comedian Groucho Marx pushing them. They are one of the many car brands that was a victim of competition and getting squeezed out of existence in the 60s.

Introduced by Walter P. Chrysler in the summer of 1928 it was designed to compete in the rapidly expanding mid-priced segment and positioned between the budget-friendly Plymouth and the luxury Chrysler. It immediately attracted 500 dealers and by the time DeSoto production was in full swing at the end of 1928, there were 1,500 dealers selling the premier 1929 DeSoto. During the first twelve months, DeSoto production set a record 81,065 cars building more cars during its first year than Chrysler, and Pontiac, a record that stood for nearly thirty years.

In the 40’s they would be known for the New “Rocket” bodies and beautiful waterfall grills. The theme would remain a DeSoto trademark through 1955. Restyled in 1953 DeSotos were the kind of cars people remember best. Like other cars of the era, they were big, covered with chrome, and extraordinarily plush. “Motor Trend” magazine loved them. The six-passenger car was described as “a desirable family car” and powered by an engine with “high-performance characteristics.” The brand was a success and in 1956 DeSoto outsold Chrysler for the first and only time.

This week’s spot is 54 I’m thinking because in 55 they were redesigned by Virgil Exner, who gave all of Chrysler’s cars his “Forward Look.” Remember the massive fins? This is a Fireflite and as De Soto’s top trim package, it was wider and longer than the Firedome and came equipped with an early version of the Hemi, 291 cu in, V8 engine and with a 4-barrel, produced 200 hp. It also came with a PowerFlite automatic transmission. It listed at $3,544, $35,440 in 2023 dollars. AM radio was a $110 option, $1,236 in 2023 dollars. A lot of cash and now you can get a nice stereo for that.

Things were running well at the Chrysler Division and 1955, DeSotos sold well with over 114,765 examples produced, making 1955 the best year for the company since 1946. By 1956, DeSoto placed eleventh in U.S. production with an annual production of 110,418 cars. A 56 gold and white Fireflite convertible was the Official Pace Car for the 1956 Indianapolis 500. An estimated 390-426 produced making it the rarest. If you can find one they will sell for around 100 grand.

After that, it was all downhill for the brand. A recession in 58 clobbered Detroit and DeSoto saw sales fall 60 percent, while Chrysler posted a loss of more than $40 million. There was more competition, surprisingly from Edsel which sold 60,000 cars in its first year. Chrysler merged DeSoto with the new Chrysler-Plymouth division and closed DeSoto’s factory. DeSoto celebrated its 30th anniversary by selling just 45,700 cars.

Chrysler killed the DeSoto brand on November 19, 1960, but it had tons of parts left over so decided to produce a two-door and four-door DeSoto until the parts ran out. They managed to cobble 3,034 cars with the leftover bits and pieces. Dashboards came from the previous year’s Dodge models along with mismatched steering wheels and other pieces from the Chrysler Newport parts bin. Anyone who’d ordered a DeSoto but didn’t get it before the parts finally ran out received a Newport instead. What a sad way for a great car name to fade into the sunset.

Today they are fairly affordable entries into the collector car market. This year I found plenty of cars for sale in the mid-20s to mid-40s. The highest price is the 1959 DeSoto Firesweep. Hagerty values them as high as $166.000.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out this car spot. I have lots of others on our site. Come back next Friday for another one of my spots along with some of its history. Have a super weekend.