1961 DeSoto Series RS1-L

The 1950s had been kind to some manufacturers and detrimental to others. Many orphan automobile manufacturers were crushed by the popularity of 'the big three' and the relentless introduction of new styling and mechanical innovations. Among the unfortunate automakers who soon met their demise were Hudson, Packard, and Nash-Kelvinator by 1954, and Crosley by 1952. The Continental nameplate was the namesake of the short-lived Continental Division, marketing the 1956–1957 Continental Mark II as the worldwide flagship of Ford Motor Company. In a similar vein (albeit a more successful venture), the Imperial was registered as a separate make by the Chrysler Corporation in an attempt to compete directly with GM's Cadillac and Ford's Lincoln. They remained a separate entity until 1975 and did not wear any 'Chrysler' badging anywhere on them until 1971. In 1958, the Ford Motor Company introduced a new brand of vehicles called the Edsel, deriving its name from Edsel Ford, son of company founder Henry Ford. The Edsel vehicles shared a similar price range with Mercury, and their bodies were shared with Ford and Mercury. Production was brief, with Ford quietly discontinuing the Edsel brand before 1960.

Overall, the United States experienced marked economic growth during the 1950s, with home construction and manufacturing increasing during a post-World War II economic expansion. There were, however, recessions during the decade, including the relatively short and mild recession of July 1953 to May 1954, known as the post-Korean War Recession. During these 10 months, GDP lost 2.2 percent, and unemployment reached around six percent. To combat the recession and high inflation caused by the influx of dollars into the wartime economy, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, which ultimately undercut consumer demand and lowered confidence in the economy.

In August of 1957, an Asian Flu pandemic spread from Hong Kong into Europe and the United States, and over a million people perished worldwide. This illness triggered a global recession that reduced United States exports by over $4 billion. To slow inflation, the Federal Reserve again raised interest rates prompting consumer spending and the U.S. economy to slow. During the eight-month recession, the GDP decreased by 3.3 percent, and unemployment rose to 6.2 percent.

Another recession followed from April of 1960 to February of 1961, and the GDP declined again, this time by 2.4 percent, and unemployment was nearly 7 percent. Part of the blame was cast on consumers buying more compact foreign automobiles resulting in reduced profits for U.S automakers.

The 1950s was not all doom-and-gloom, as there were many highlights along the way, including brilliant concept cars, tail fins, space-age styling, excessive use of chrome trim, and engines exceeding 300 horsepower.

Brief History of DeSoto
Walter Chrysler founded DeSoto on August 4th of 1928, as a mid-price automobile intended to compete with Studebaker, Hudson, Oldsmobile, and Willys. Within the Chrysler hierarchy, the Dodge and Plymouth automobiles served as the 'entry-level' position, followed by the mid-priced DeSoto and the top-of-the-line Chrysler (Dodge and DeSoto would flip-flop positions during the early years). The DeSoto proved very popular with consumers, and a total of 81,065 examples were produced during its inaugural year.

In 1934, DeSoto and Chrysler vehicles wore streamlined bodies which would ultimately prove unpopular with consumers. Chrysler still had a traditional model, but DeSoto only had the Airflows and limped along until the Airstream with traditional styling arrived in 1935.

During the mid-1950s, the DeSotos received Virgil Exner's 'Forward Look' styling along with the Chrysler Models. In 1956, the DeSoto was selected to pace the Indianapolis 500, the only time during its existence that it was bestowed this honor. Sales remained strong until the economic downturn of 1958, which was especially detrimental to mid-priced automakers. As a result, DeSoto's sales plummeted by 60 percent, and they had their worst sales year since 1938. Sales fell by another forty percent in 1959. For 1960, DeSoto dropped the Firesweep and Firedome models leaving just the Fireflite and the Adventurer. 1960 would be the final year that DeSoto vehicles were sold in Canada.

1961 DeSoto
Desoto produced 26,081 vehicles in 1960, just a fraction of the higher-priced Chrysler vehicles (77,285) and the lower-priced Dodge vehicles (367,804). Due to the poor sales, DeSoto vehicle production ended on November 30th, 1960, meaning the 1961 vehicle production lasted 47 days.

Series nomenclature had essentially disappeared for 1961, with the two available models based on the former Fireflites but referred to only as DeSotos. Minor styling updates were applied, following those of its Chrysler sibling, with altered rear taillamps and updates to the bodyside trim. The 361 cubic-inch V8 engine remained mostly unchanged, continuing to use hydraulic valve lifters and five main bearings, but the Carter two-barrel carburetor was exchanged for a Stromberg two-barrel unit. The 1960 engine delivered 295 horsepower while the 1961 version offered 265 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. The TorqueFlite automatic transmission was considered standard, and selecting the manual reduced the overall price by $227.

The two-door hardtop sedan with seating for six was priced at $3,100, and the four-door hardtop sedan was $3,165. The four-door version was more popular with 2,123 examples built, compared to the 911 of the two-door hardtop. The combined production for 1961 (and its final) year was 3,034 vehicles. After 32 years in business and over two million passenger cars and trucks built, DeSoto was out of business.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2021