I am an old fart survivor, 76 and counting. I became interested in cars as a result of a wealthy aunt who always drove Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles and Lincolns - cars that I coveted - while my family traveled the roads in lowly Plymouths (my dad was so tight that he squeaked when he walked). Around the time she divorced her industrialist husband, she acquired a '57 or '58 (or maybe it was a '59) Desoto 4-door hardtop. It was two-tone green, and I thought it was the most gorgeous, luxurious automobile that I had ever seen. I actually washed it during one visit she made to our home, and just sitting in it was a huge adrenalin rush. Seeing that machine outfitted with power windows, an actual pushbutton radio (our lowly '53 Plymouth didn't even have a radio - Dad insisted that listening to one would distract a driver's attentiveness), and pushbutton transmission selector convinced me that her car shouted "I have arrived!" She mentioned to Mom and Dad that she was thinking of selling it for something nicer. I picked up on that, and pleaded with Dad for weeks to buy it (her price made it a virtual giveaway}. Dad didn't want anything to do with it. The power windows would most certainly kill him, and us, as a result of a short circuit from water invasion when he might accidentally drive off the bridge crossing the river running through our home town. He reasoned that he wouldn't be able to open the windows and we, unable to escape, would all drown. Yet, I have a photo of him standing next to one of his new cars, in the middle of our frozen river!! And that automatic transmission - well, he was widely known for saying that "the day I can't shift gears myself is the day I stop driving!" It's worth noting that Dad was so opposed to any change or technological advancement, that he refused for ten years to install central air conditioning in the new home he built in the early 60's. He vocally opposed change as simply an excuse for manufacturers to charge higher prices. He also objected to his perception of low gas mileage in a car with a hemi-V8 and automatic transmission - "I bet that thing won't get 10 miles to the gallon!" That, despite the fact that his 95 hp flathead-six, 3-on-the-tree Plymouth wouldn't do much better. Bless Dad's heart. He was miserably conflicted, but he meant well.

Grandfather had an early 50s Custom. It was like riding on the couch. The best of times

As a 16 year old teenager, my step-dad passed away and my mother gave me his car. It was a 1960 Fireflight. I love that car still to this day It made me feel special. What a great car.

The last car my father gave my mom in Concord, NH was the 1961 DeSoto. I was only 7 but remembered the pushbutton transmission and the sound it made when you pushed the button. It was like the closing of an original Star Trek door... Pushhh then swishhhh, then clunk. The car has so much power my Mom had a hard time taking off from a stop without squeaking the tires. She was big, black, and they pulled a Holiday Rambler travel trailer. Great Memories. The gas cap was behind the License Plate.

In 1957, I was ten years old and staying the week with my grandparents in their Cocoanut Grove home. My grandfather gave his garage kept low mileage 1952 Desoto Coupe to my mom and bought a new pale yellow and cream Desoto sedan and he paid cash! It had a flat head engine and When we pulled out of the dealership, turned right, gave it some gas and spinner the rear tire. He was surprised by the power.I was in the back seat but excited and holding on the the front seat backs. My grandmother was startled said, “OK Frank let’s not be racer”. Later, I found out that although the engine was an 15 year old WW2 design but it was reliable and kept the price down. Years Later, when my grandfather didn’t need it anymore, my grandmother gave it to my mom, my mom picked up granny twice a week for shopping day and when it was raining, I drove it to high school. It was a nice looking well made car that reliable. GlennFHoward

In the early 60s my father’s older sister had a DeSodo and in the few times riding in it I remember it being roomier and more ‘ finished’ then the Chevys my parents favored- plus the ‘ far out’ styling of the front was so cool looking. Thanks for a nice informative video.

Of all the cars my family had when I was growing up, the 1957 DeSoto FireFlight 4dr hardtop was my favorite. It was the first car we had that had power everything. My dad ordered it with optional rear seat air conditioning. There were two clear plexiglass curved vents that came out of the rear deck, and would blow cold air down your neck and back. My parents were big Chrysler fans. I guess that’s why I have owned Dodges and Rams my whole life. I’d love to own a 57 or 58 DeSoto FireFlight or Adventurer. I still think they’re one of the best looking designs ever.

Love those 1950’s color combos.

DeSoto was also built in Windsor Ont. Canada. My dad has a 59 firesome sportsman model with the original, new for 1959, 383 2 barrel engine. He has had it for maybe 35 years. Still drives it almost daily from April to October. He did convert the front drum brakes to disk.

This was a well done video, many thanks. At one time those Desotos were feared and respected. A friend of my dad named Bob Cherry had a pilots license. There is a long, straight stretch of road east of the town of Gotham, WI. HONEST. It's state highway 14 and there is 10 miles of straight away from Lone Rock, WI heading west to Gotham. My dads friend had a Desoto with the big engine and he loved to run it wide open. That stretch of Highway 14 was a most tempting place to let that engine howl. And howl it did, right past a state trooper hiding in the trees. By the time the trooper got moving the Desoto was barely visible. It got further ahead until the trooper lost sight of it. The trooper knew it was a black and gold car so even though he didn't get the license it was a rare car in that part of the woods. Only someone with a good income would buy one. There is a nice restaurant in Gotham and Bob Cherry planned to stop there for the good home cooked meals. He had no idea there was a trooper after him. He sat down and ordered his meal before the trooper got there. The trooper went in and asked, "Who owns the Desoto out there?" Bob waved his arm to get the troopers eye. The trooper said, "You were going mighty fast out there let me see your pilots license". So Bob showed it to him. LOL The trooper blew his top, starting talking really loud, telling Bob he was going to write all kinds of tickets. He did too, seems like it was five or six. The trooper left in a huff and Bob calmly finished his meal. He personally knew all the staff and a couple of the customers. So he arranged for them to be at the court date. The trooper told his story to the judge about the reckless manner and high speed he witnessed. Then it was Bob's turn. "Your honor, I was sitting in a restaurant eating a meal when this trooper came in and accused me of speeding and reckless driving. He was very angry but he got even louder and ruder after I showed him my license. Your honor, he asked for my pilots license so I did as he asked and that was when he got crazy angry and wrote all these extra tickets. These people in the court heard the whole thing and will testify if need be". The judge looked at the trooper. "Did you maintain sight of the car at all times?" "No your honor the maniac was going too fast." Judge asked, "Did you really ask for his pilots license?" Trooper hung his head and answered, "Yes". Judge looked at the people in the audience who were shaking their head yes. Judge said, "Case dismissed." I still laugh just remembering that story. I forgot it till I saw this youtube! When management tried to increase production by speeding up the assembly line they hurt the quality because most factories didn't have the room to add extra workers. What they should have done was add some Saturdays or go to two ten hour shifts. I worked at the Belvidere, IL assembly plant. At one time we were building 70 Dodge Omnis per hour. But that plant had the room to add more workers. Each job was simplified so the worker had less to do but the cars went by fast. To increase floor space all bathrooms and offices were put up on stilts above the line. The joke became, "Don't sneeze or you'll miss a whole car". It only takes one year of problems to kill the trust in a vehicle. That trust may never come back no matter how hard you try. That was part of what killed the Desoto, but the recession added to the problems as well. During that recession our humble little PLymouth sat in the driveway on blocks to protect the tires. We had no money for gas so it sat. Mom and dad walked everywhere. We snared rabbits in the back yard and dug a garden with hand tools to survive. There was no work to be had for at least a whole year, almost two. So of course people didn't have the courage to buy a new car when the old one still worked. The Desoto was a grand auto, it was well loved by most people who owned one. Now when I see one at a car show, I feel a bit of excitement just knowing someone saved it from the junk yard.

My Dad was the sales promotions manager for the Mid-Western Region for 11 years...he designed "prizes" for the top dealers and salesman...he was based out of the Jefferson Avenue campus...in 1959 we bought a new house in an up and coming suburb...( Lee Iacocca, (Ford) Bunky Newtson (Ford) and Rick Teague (American Motors) all lived nearby!)...Dad's "company" car that year was a super cool "Surf Green & Charcoal Grey" DeSoto FireFlite...complete with a freakin' record player under the dash...played 45 RPM singles!!! It didn't track very well on some of the gravel roads in the neighborhood but we all thought it was the coolest car ever built...good times :) :)

NOW YOU CANT TELL ONE CAR FROM ANOTHER. LOVE THE OLD CARS . THANKS FOR SHARING

My parents purchased a 1960 DeSoto Adventurer around 1965. A four door model with a black body and white roof, it was an amazing car both in looks and speed. I took my driver's test in it in 1971 and parallel parked it flawlessly because the distinctive tail fins always let you know where the end of your car was. The guy who administered the test was even impressed by the car. Of all the vehicles we owned, that one was the most distinctive. The one thing it lacked, however, was a parking gear. Because our driveway was sloped, Dad fashioned an angled block of wood to put behind the front tire for added safety so we didn't have to rely solely on the emergency brake (which sometimes would slip).

When some cars were touting hemi engines in the 60's, I remember thinking, hell, my dad had a hemi in the 50's. The De Soto firedome engines.

As a high school student in 1955, I loved the new, revolutionary Chrysler products. The DeSoto was one of my favourites. The Asst. Manager of a supermarket I worked in on weekends and after school, was a young man who drove a navy or black 1955 DeSoto hardtop that was fabulous. When leaving after work at night, he would wheel around the parking lot and the car looked amazing! I loved the "shark tooth" grill which was one of the most beautiful ever designed. It was used in many custom cars of other brands. My favourite? The 1955 Plymouth Belvedere hardtop or ragtop...red and white !

Desoto produced some nice looking cars during the time they were in production. When I was a kid dad owned a ‘56 which only had the 6cyl. side valve but was a great car.

My dad had a 1957 Desoto Adventurer in gold and white. I was little but I remember him letting me push the buttons for the gears. And sit on his lap and steer.

I recall a late 1950s DeSoto tv commercial where they demonstrated the cars climbing power by driving it up a steep ramp at the Rose Bowl.

My dad never stopped talking about the first car I remember riding in, his cream and burgundy '57 DeSoto. Always said it was the best car he ever owned, wished he had hung onto it longer.

My Grandfather bought a 1960 DeSoto with push button automatic transmission. He drove it for eight years and went to Chrysler brand afterward. His DeSoto had a powerful V-8 and was very comfortable. I much enjoyed this video. Thank you!

These were beautiful and innovative cars in their time. As a young boy in the 1950's, Desoto had Groucho Marx, as its main sponsor, on the hit TV show, "You bet Your Life".

When I was a kid my next door neighbor was a Desoto lover and he had some very cool cars

I was born in '51. In '53 Dad bought a new DeSoto - brown - his only new car ever. I do not know what engine it had. In the later '50's we got a used '56 DeSoto - two-tone green. That Hemi engine threw a rod and was replaced. We always had Chrysler products, as that is what Dad's dad always used as a rural mail carrier. His observation was that in muddy conditions there were more Fords and Chevys than Dodges that were stuck. I am awestruck at the many beautiful images you found.

I’m a huge DeSoto fan! We had a two tone green 53 Firedome, and a maroon over white 56 Firedome SW. I loved them! I had a classmate in high school who drove the family’s blue and white 55 Fireflight (I think) coupe, exactly like the one in your doc here. I can easily say that I’d trade nearly anything I own now for a nice example of that exact model today. I was surprised by the charcoal and salmon four door shown, and I think I might have swooned … 🤔 Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

In regard to the assembly lines running faster, all I can do is quote one Jonas Grumby - "Hurried work is worried work, and a job not well done is not a well-done job."

Outstanding video

The 57' to 60' models are some of the most beautiful cars ever designed. Truly incredible but so rare that you basically never see any.

My dad had a '57 DeSoto Firedome sedan. The thing was a tank. I was five at the time. My job was to stuff a piece of cinder block behind the tire when he parked. The transmission's locking device wasn't dependable. I remember being left in the car while mom/dad went into the store (yes, people did that regularly in those days). The car began to roll. I flipped over the seat back into the driver's seat and mashed down on the brake pedal until they came back out to the car. I had hero status for the day. LOL A proud moment for a five year old. That was 1965. Dad always said that car could pass everything on the road, but a gas station with that hemi in it.

Excellent mini-doc! You hit all the highlights and had some great pics and white boards. Good job, kid!

My aunt and uncle had a 1959 Fireflite 4-door hardtop that was a cream-color with a rather gold-hued trim and it was one of the most beautiful cars I had ever seen at the time as a 12 year old. I went with them on a road trip from Memphis, TN to Chicago and was excited for the entire trip because of that elegant and great-.looking car.

My first car was a 39 DeSoto. It was older than I was, though only by a couple years, and I loved that thing. We were a DeSoto family until they quit making them. I will note that by the Sixties, that DeSoto had a -lot- of rust, but still drove just fine.

My Dad's first couple of cars were DeSotos, back in the early 50s. (As a child in the 60s, I don't remember them.) Dad shifted to Plymouths by 1958 (Furys, and Barracudas in the late 60s). (Grandpa stepped from Rebels and an Ambassador into to New Ports and a Cordoba when AMC wrapped it up in the 70s.) Dad had lots of great memories from his Frieflight and Firedome. Thanks for posting.

Owned both a 1955 and a 1958. Both served me very well and I was especially proud of the 55 as it was my first car, two tone green. I met my future wife with that car and would never have happened if I had not purchased that wonderful car. Also my 3 children sorta owe their life to me owning that car which adds to my pride of that ownership. I wish I would have never traded that car away as it will always mean more to me than I can express. The car had way more power than I needed, passing gear gave you a feeling you were in a jet plane. I hated it that DeSoto was finally cancelled, but I understood that Chrysler could not cancel the name sake of the company and DeSoto was almost a carbon copy of the Chrysler.

I love my 56 fire flight sportsman I can’t wait to get it restored

That was very classy the way you gave that disclaimer about this is not the time. We need more of you around the Internet

My uncle worked for DeSoto, Packard and Studebaker. He said he was starting to think he was a curse on the auto industry.

Loved the video. Some really great pics. Parents had a '57 Fireflite Sportsman in Aqua and White. I was real young but I remember the neighbors lining up to take it for a spin. DeSoto sort of shook off the dust of 1950's automotive design and gave us something fresh and new.

The design of the airflow, was another incredible out of the box innovation that Chrysler has always known for and way ahead of their time. Ironically, Europeans loved it and used the design in creating their vehicles from that point on. Desoto's are some of the coolest automobiles ever manufactured, and am a big fan 👍🏼 🇺🇸

Great video and information. Thanks for producing it and posting it online.

While watching this video the advertising song from TV commercials kept playing in my mind-- It's De Lightful, it's De Lovely, it's De Soto. My neighbors had one, and if I remember correctly, had a push button automatic transmission. Good video. It brought good childhood memories.

I'm 78. At 16 I learned to drive in a 52 firedome 8,& a56 fire dome.The 52 had a fluid drive semi automatic, and the 56 had the 2 speed push button trans.My uncle had a 53 fire dome and a 57 fire dome.They all were HEMI equipped. They were great cars.I get nostalgic when I see them on u tube or at car shows.

Never heard of De Soto until I watched a Groucho Marx programme sponsored by them. Thanks for the video. Love these old cars.

I remember seeing Desotos when I was a kid, generally rusted out hulks in some salvage yard somewhere. Production ceased the year before I was born. I never really slowed down to take a look until now thanks to this video. Great presentation. I loved the late 30s through early 50s styling. From what I can see they seemed to be about a decade ahead of the others regarding design. I'm certain the illustrations of these beautifully restored models depicted within this video helped persuade that opinion. Great job.

Great video. I had a friend that was crazy over a DeSoto. In fact, he was trying to restore a 1960 model. You had some beautiful photos, too! Thank you for sharing!!!

Nice man, I love your videos!

My dad owned a 57 Firesweep that he bought used in the early 60s. A few things I remember about that car; it had an enormous package tray where I slept on long trips(my little sister had the back seat), it was white over grey and had the coolest taillights I have ever seen!

Greatly appreciative for your research. This from a great grandpa born in the mid 60's under Eisenhower. Touché!

loved mine . 55 fireflite sedan ran 130 mph and still had throttle left, I became an auto mechanic of 50 yrs. a good friend had the 53 with semi auto trans loved those cars,I even went and bought a 57 ply thank you for the presentation of Desoto. from Detroit Michigan near the city airport.

Wow nice job ! Boy Howdy on that Sun Lit Yellow Fireflite vert man!

Sometime around 1977 my Dad bought a DeSoto 6 that had been sitting in a quarry shed since the end of WW2. It was in pretty good order and was complete. It took him about an hour to get it running and he drove it the 8 kilometers back to our home. In the early 2000's he sold it as cancer had got him and he wanted to tidy up loose ends. It sold for only NZ$12k. I wish I had bought it but was working on the new mortgage.

That's the best video I've seen about DeSoto so far with good quality Thanks! Asleep in my garage there's a DeSoto Diplomat 53 waiting for summer roads...

In 1970 I was motoring in my ‘64 Chevy II and passed a used car lot with a ‘56 Chrysler Windsor parked in the front row. I fell hard and try as I could, I fell short with the cash. I’m still an admirer of the Forwsrd Look cars. Terrific video! Liked, commented and on the list for a sub. Well done!

"Tell em Groucho sent you"

We had DeSotos in South Africa after 1961, because of dealer obligations. The 1962 and 1963 models were the Rebel and the Diplomat, which were the Valiant and Plymouth, respectively, with DeSoto badges. Local-content laws went into effect for 1964 and Chrysler SA only assembled the Simca, Valiant, and Dodge 330. For several years in the late 60s and early 70s, the Valiant was South Africa's best-selling car.

Great summary of information and fantastic images. Thanks.

*Thank You! ...... Subscribed!* I enjoyed looking at the many color pictures of those beautiful DeSoto cars! I also appreciate the facts that you posted as well as the pace of the video. Thank you!

I was raised next to the McGraw avenue plant in Detroit on Smart and Addison streets. We saw all the produced body styles and trim packages in the parking/staging area. They also road tested them on the nearby side streets until 1958, then moved production to Jefferson avenue on the East side of Detroit. Imperials were assembled a couple blocks away on Lonyo avenue until 1960. A lot of automotive history in that town.

Great video. Growing up my grandmother had a library of old magazines, particularly Colliers and Saturday Evening Post. I used to love to read them when I was staying. at her house. From the advertising in those magazines I fell in love with De Soto and was always looking for them on the street, since older models were still on the road. She drove a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere, which had a similar look to a De Soto and a push button transmission. Hard to believe my new Acura has a push button transmission. What was old is now new again.

My uncle had a new Desoto every year from 1958 to 1961 especially the two tone gold white color trim. I was 16 years old. Great show. Thanks from Ohio

I really enjoyed your video of the history of Desoto. I'm a pretty big Gearhead and I learned a few things I didn't know. After watching, I found myself really liking the Desoto styling. My dad owned a 55 Firedome. The color was just like the one pictured in black, and I guess it would be a correl color. I think the 50s model years were very attractive. It's hard for me to understand why Chrysler had such a hard time over the years. It's the same story for the Imperials. They were great cars, I've always known Imperials to have a good build quality along with a great engineering reputation. But they never sold as well as the Lincolns and Cadillacs in those days. Those mid-50s Desotos really had a great presence. Admittedly there are some unique looking Chrysler products that maybe wasn't for everybody. But I've always been attracted to them. In any event I hope Chrysler will be one of the Big Three for a long time to come. I really like the late 50s fins and taillights. I don't why others don't feel the same way.

An admirable brand. Thanks for the history lesson. I came up in the 1950's during the glory days of HP and design changes. DeSoto, like Mercury, filled that middle slot. I had no idea how many innovations came with the brand.

Fun fact: A Turkish company Askam priduced DeSoto Trucks until 1989

Thanks for making the video. My first car was a 1959 Desoto station wagon. It had push Botton drive. No gear shift lever. You shifted with your left hand. It also had amazing power steering.

Great video. Thanks for the thorough history lesson. DeSoto made some of the prettiest cars ever built.

used to peek at DeSoto new cars 50 years ago in a showroom around the corner from my school. best car designs of the time.

Did not know that De Soto sold so well in the mid-1950’s! Never thought much about them at the time as they seemed to just be the ultimate expression of “chrome boat” that we had for big Detroit iron of the time. Nobody seemed to miss them when they faded away either unlike the Packard or Hudson brands. Thanks for the information!

At the age five, from what my mom told me, I could rattle off the names of several American makes of cars! Growing up in the '50's, I remember DeSotos from my Childhood. They looked similar to Dodges and Plymouths. As a teenager, I took a liking to DeSotos and Dodges, especially what are now referred to as Forward Look Cars. About that time, I found out that DeSoto had been discontinued and I always wondered why. Now I know. This is a very informative and interesting video as well!

My Dad had a 1956 DeSoto Adventurer with the Hemi Engine, 2 four barrel Carter AFB carburetors and push button transmission. After just getting my drivers license in 1964 I inherited our 1956 Plymouth Suburban Station Wagon. But on rare occasions I was allowed to drive the Adventurer! What a treat to drive and what a great engine to show off to my buddies!

When my mother died in 2004, she had the worn out remains of an ice scraper in her Subaru. It said "Come See Desoto for 1956" on it. It had a car dealership name on it. I don't remember the dealers name, but it was in the little town of Mexico, Maine. I think my father kept the scraper. I had to watch this video.

What a fantastic looking car, the early models looked par for the time of manufacture but the later fifties cars were just so very beautiful, as were so many American cars of that era, the late cars lost something with the complexity and design of the grille but the side view of virtually any of the late 1950s De Soto output was breath-taking. Thanks for this brilliant resume of a great American automobile, and the people that own one of these cars today are so very lucky.

I'm almost 72 and I have heard of De Soto; but I never had one or remember anyone who did. I did, however, own a 1960 Plymouth Valiant in the late 70s and I wish I still had that one. Nice presentation. Thanks.

Excellent video.....concise and informative. Thanks !!!

...In Wisconsin, I bought a 2 door 1960 Adventurer in 1974, driving to South Dakota to pick it up. White w/red interior, it was rust free w/95,000 miles. My plan was to restore it as the interior was worn. I saw "American Graffiti" weeks later, and was obsessed w/getting a 58 Edsel. A month later I did, a local 4 door Corsair. Still have the Edsel, but the Desoto was sold in 1981. Today, id rather have kept the Desoto.....

In 1958, we bought a new DeSoto Fireflight. It’s my favorite car of all the cars we’ve had. It was one of the first cars to offer rear air conditioning, with the ducts made of Lexan clear plastic, and the air would blow down your neck. It was a beautiful 4dr hardtop.

Nice video. My dad had a '56 and I had a '57. Just watched "Christine" yesterday and it reminded me how awesome my old black firedome really was. (with adjustable tortion bars, one day low, on day high, lol!)

Loved these! Grew up with them and all the "forward look" cars of the late fifties and early sixties. Had a 67 Mercury Cyclone as my first new car, just before Duty Called for 2 years. Parents sold it while I was doing my tour!! Thought I would not return, but I fooled them, ..and, to be honest, me too!! Partial to the now "extinct brands", got two Mercs now (64 and 67, again), a 64 Ranchero and a 64 Fairlane (no not a T-bolt, has a 302!!), but would add one of these old beauties if I could afford a fully restored one, can't do the work myself anymore. Thanks for the look back at the forward look!! :D

The 1957 DeSoto is the most perfectly designed car EVER. A feast for the eyes. Virgil Exner's finest moment.

At 2:14. The Emblem on DeSoto is way more better looking than the Cadillac one.

I had a 1958 DeSoto (Fire Flight?) that my Aunt bought new in 1958. I inherited it in 1971 with only 61,000 miles on the odometer. Almost everything on it was still original including the two tone paint and upholstery. I loved that car even though it only got about 11 mpg. It was like driving a yacht on dry land. I drove it from Virginia to California in 1994 but had no garage in which to store it. The Redwood City California sun was deteriorating the inside, so I sold it to company in San Francisco that supplies period automobiles for movies. If you see a 1958 DeSoto in a movie, it may be my Aunt's old car.

My dad was born in 1919. I was born in 1952 and when I was a young man (13 or 14) he took a De Soto our for a spin. It was a used car, but he told me that at 60 MPH it would lay rubber if you matted the gas pedal. I questioned it then and I still would have to see it to believe it, but the car certainly had plenty of power as was proved at 9:34 to 9:48. Excellent documentary!!!

I still think that the 1957 Fireflite, two door was one of the best looking cars ever.

The hemi engines were way ahead of their time in horsepower and performance.

Great video, thanks! My first car was a 54 Firedome I bought from my sister for $25.00. Third car was a 55 Fireflyte. Wish I still had the 55.

This video is a complete overload in beautiful designs. Thank you for making this.

I'm 35, and I grew up thinking a DeSoto was just one model manufactured by Dodge! I have certainly learned a lot more since we acquired a 1959 Fireflite last year. I appreciate the information you gave in this video!

I remember a DeSoto TV commercial where they were bragging up the power steering, and showed how great it was by running the car through a ditch at high speed.

Great post!! on the DeSoto My Grandma had a 1958 DeSoto Fireflight with 361ci two tone Willow and Spruce Green..loved the car. Push button transmission gave problems when it was like below freezing go out and about...but when was in garage it was fine..I was going to inherit the car as I start working as a young kid mowing lawns and being a caddy..but my Dad said it be years before you got your license..he inherited her Dads 1960 Dodge Pioneer already. He had a 1963 Dodge Dart for work…She sold it to a Texaco Mechanic for like $200..I was pissed!!! But good memories Great Car..I had chances of getting another one but the muscle car era was in my blood from 1978-2000…

I was not of the car buying age when DeSota was produced. My dad was an Oldsmobile buyer having owned a 1950 88 a 1954 Super 88 and a 1958 Super 88. They were peppy cars to drive. Found it interesting the comparison of the Olds v8 engine with the DeSoto V8. that was an eye opener for me. Great Video.

Great video. I remember walking pasted a closed dealership as a kid in Muskogee, OK all the time. Loved just looking through the dusty windows & dreaming of all the old cars that had once been displayed there.

I been waiting for this

My dad bought a beautiful 1955 DeSoto Fireflight 4-door sedan. My best friend called it the "limousine." The shift was on the dashboard and you moved it up and down. So cool!

Very good video!! I remember seeing DeSotos on the street when I was a kid.

A 1956 Firedome Desoto was my first car. I got my driver's license in 1967. It was two tone pink and my friends called me firedame because I had far more horsepower than their cars. With the tiny back window it was very hard to parallel park.

My grandparents had a 1950 DeSoto. My parents inherited the car and eventually I owned it. The car was still just like new. Even the upholstery was perfect. A couple years ago I sold it to a good friend that is way more into cars than I am these days. It's a big hit in car shows around here and he still drives it now and again on nice days. I also gave him the bill of sale from the dealer where my grandparents bought the car, and the loan papers from the bank showing the loan had been paid off. There are moments where I wish I still had it. But it's way better off in his hands.

Thanks for your video. I've had my '56 DeSoto Firedome Seville 2 door hardtop since '99. It has a gas heater and A/C is in the trunk.

When I was a kid visiting my grandfather in NYC, I enjoyed riding in DeSoto cabs. As I recall, they had so much room, they were able to put 2 fold-up seats between the front & back seats.

I will always remember Jimmy Stewart’s Desoto in “Vertigo”. Kim Novak’s Jaguar was classy. But Stewart’s Desoto was so West Coast in the late 50’s. It was unique as a movie car as well. Few other Desotos ever made it to the big screen in a major studio film production.

A good sound historical overview of the brand, thank you. I have never owned one but the 55/56 Fireflites are my preferred model. I keep looking for a project, but... so far nothing that can be saved from the ravages of time on anything like a workable budget.

GREAT VIDEO & EDUCATION!!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!

+1 Marspeed - Thanks, this was informative and interesting! As an old fart I vaguely remember the DeSoto brand from my youth, but we were a Chevy family so I only remember seeing the occasional DeSoto on the road. In fact, until this video I had no idea DeSoto was a Chrysler brand. The ones I remember most were the pre-fin mid-1950s models. Those had some nice styling for their time. Looking back, it's simply amazing that both Chrysler and General Motors got away with selling virtually identical cars under different brand names for so long. My then new 1972 Plymouth 340 Duster muscle car was identical to the rival Dodge Demon except for slight front grill/rear taillights styling, and badges, that somehow made them 'unique'. Virtually every other part was interchangeable! And by the early 1960s GM had four nearly identical brands: Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, and Oldsmobile. Of course, Chevy and Pontiac were more performance marketed while Buick and Olds were slightly more luxury marketed. Even luxurious Cadillac sedans weren't much different than a Chevy Impala. In fact, word of mouth in the early 1960s was that it cost GM only $600 more to produce a luxurious Cadillac that sold for twice as much as a $3000 Impala. Of course, in those days we were all extremely brand loyal not realizing that under the sheet metal those cars were nearly identical and shared many parts. Gotta admit I was really saddened when Pontiac bit the dust as I loved my bright red 1985 V6 Fiero SE (lost in a divorce) and years later my 1986 V6 Fiero SE. Fieros were light years in technology ahead of the then new 1980 Corvette I had before my 1st Fiero. OK... enough rambling. :) Subscribed!