1959 DeSoto Firesweep

By the close of the 1950s, the slowing postwar economy crippled automobile sales, and DeSoto was not immune to its effects. 1959 was essentially the final year for DeSoto as an independent marque, with production ending in 1961 (officially dropped on November 30th,1960). DeSoto, a division of Chrysler, built slightly more than two million vehicles during its existence, beginning in 1928.

Walter Chrysler founded DeSoto on August 4th, 1928, and introduced it for the 1929 model year. It was named after the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and intended as a mid-priced vehicle aimed at General Motors, Willys-Knight, and Studebaker (among others). Initially, DeSoto was priced below Dodge models, but its position was changed in 1933, and in 1934 it received Chrysler's streamlined Airflow bodies.

Chrysler's 'Forward Look' debut in 1955, with its modern styling and youthful flair, brought an 85-percent increase in sales. The euphoria was short-lived, and by 1958 production plunged more than sixty percent.

DeSoto introduced the Firesweep model, along with new styling and chassis engineering on all of its models, in 1957. Minor updates followed for 1958, and the 1959 Firesweep received three air scoops built into the bi-level front bumper. The full-length body spears were redesigned and narrower and dipped behind the rear wheel opening before curving upwards towards the tips of the taillights. In the back were the tri-cluster, turret-shaped taillight lenses seen on previous Firesweep models. Body styles were the same as in 1958, including a sedan, two- and four-door sportsman, convertible, and six- and nine-passenger station wagon. Convertibles and two-door sportsman body styles were used on all 1959 DeSoto models. The convertibles were not popular, perhaps due to the premium price, with the Firesweep receiving the most sales, with 596 examples built. The Firesweep two-door sportsman was also the most popular amongst the other model options, with 5,481 examples built. The second most popular two-door sportsman within the DeSoto line on the Firedome, with 2,744 examples built.

The sedan was the most popular Firesweep body style with 9,649 examples produced. 2,875 examples of the four-door sportsman and nearly 2,200 of the combined six- and nine-passenger station wagon.

The DeSoto models of the late 1950s had some of the most potent engines in the industry. The Firesweep came with an overhead valve 361 cubic-inch V8 engine with 10.0:1 compression, hydraulic valve lifters, a Carter two-barrel carburetor, five main bearings, and delivered 295 horsepower at 4,600 RPM. DeSoto's other engine was a 383 CID V8 with 305 to 350 horsepower depending on setup. A three-speed manual transmission was standard in the Firesweep and Firedome, however, most were fitted with automatics.

Standard equipment included dual exhaust on the convertibles, carpeting, and front foam cushions. Station wagons rode on black nylon Captive Air tires.

The 1959 DeSoto Firesweep pricing began at $2,900 for the sedan and rose to $3,500 for the nine-passenger station wagon. 1959 was the final year of the Firesweep. In 1960, the new entry-level model was the Fireflite, previously a high-priced line. The only other DeSoto model offered in 1960 was the Adventurer.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2020