1957 DeSoto Firesweep Sportsman

The Firesweep was DeSoto's entry-level model in 1957, built atop a 122-inch wheelbase chassis and offered in two- and four-door hardtop Sportmans body styles as well as a sedan and two station wagons.

This particular DeSoto Firesweep Sportsman Coupe was one of the final examples built for 1957 at the Los Angeles factory and was likely originally sold on the West Coast. Beneath its bonnet is an upgraded Adventurer-specification 345 horsepower Hemi V8 with dual four-barrel carburetors, a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission, manual steering and brakes, and both heater and radio delete. It has Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels, and the trunk is finished as the rest of the car, with correct carpets and a full-sized spare wheel and tire.

This DeSoto was restored by prior owner Bob Schmidt in the colors of Dusty Orange and Black, with a matching interior finished in a combination of flat and heat-pressed vinyl with print cloth accents. Since the work was completed, the Firesweep has been driven a mere twelve miles.

Since 2013, this DeSoto has been in the care of the Gateway Automobile Museum.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2023