DeSoto 1952-1960

Anotace

Hernando de Soto (1500-1542) was a Spanish conquistador who explored and mapped large areas of Florida in the 16th century. His name was to live in automotive circles from 1928 to 1961 as a badge on a range of upper-middle class cars from the Chrysler Corporation. In Chrysler's hierarchy De Sotos were positioned between Dodge on the lower side and Chrysler above them and were in competition with GM's Buick division. In the postwar years De Soto gained quite a reputation for performance following the availability of the Firedome V8 Chrysler Corporation's first hemi V8 in time for the 1952 model year. With 160 bhp from its 276 cubic inch capacity at its disposal, the Firedome Eight range were startling performers for their day. Top speed nudged 100 mph and the acceleration time for the 0-60 mph run was around 15 seconds, remember, this was a car weighing more than 4000 lbs with four 10-inch cast iron drums for brakes! In one road test they carried out a brake performance check and found it took 221 feet to stop from 60 mph. By 1955 when Motor Life tested the new forward look De Soto Fireflite sedan, the top of the new range now with a 291 cubic inch hemi V8, its performance had improved considerably: top speed was now up to 107 mph, 0-60 mph was now 12.5 seconds and stopping the 4300 lbs luxury sedan from 60 mph took a far more reassuring 139 feet. Inevitably, as with all American cars during the halcyon days of the Fifties, the De Soto grew in physical size and in engine capacity and by 1957 the brand was part of Chrysler's revolutionary range that embraced tail fins as well as unibody construction. Chrysler was the only US company to adopt this modern method of body building and a new torsion bar Torsionaire independent front suspension. By 1959 it was obvious to Chrysler that De Soto was becoming less relevant in the corporation's marketing plans, sales were dropping year by year, as both Dodge expanded into De Soto's arena from below and the Chrysler people extended their range downwards, again into De Soto domain. And so it was to nobody's surprise that, although a reduced range was announced for 1961, it lasted only for a few months before being quietly consigned to motoring history. Of all the De Sotos of the Virgil Exner period, the swansong models 2-door and 4-door hardtops only, were without doubt the ugliest of the litter, possibly not a good way to have bowed out but the corporation had little interest in history. Today there is a world-wide enthusiast movement catering for the preservation of De Sotos of any kind and it is to those people we at Brooklands Books dedicate this book. Road and comparison tests plus new model reports and consumer analyses trace the progress of the last nine years of De Soto production. Models covered: Adventurer, Firedome, Diplomat, Fireflite, Indy Pace Car, Firesweep & wagons.

Road and comparison tests plus new model reports and consumer analyses trace the progress of the last nine years of De Soto production. Models covered: Adventurer, Firedome, Diplomat, Fireflite, Indy Pace Car, Firesweep & wagons. 92 pages, 250 illus.

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