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1958 DeSoto Adventurer

The DeSoto division of Chrysler produced automobiles from 1928 to 1961. Positioned below Chrysler and above Plymouth, they were priced in the mid-price segment. Shortly after the DeSoto was introduced, Chrysler acquired the Dodge Brothers, resulting in two mid-priced makes, with the DeSoto priced slightly below Dodge models. In 1933, the market positions were reversed in hopes of increasing Dodge sales.

When Chrysler introduced its streamlined Airflow bodies in 1934, the designs were applied to the shorter DeSoto wheelbase. Unfortunately, the public did not agree with the styling. Chrysler had more traditional models within its lineup to fall back on, however, DeSoto sales were crippled by the Airflow design until the arrival of the Airstream in 1935.

Following World War II, DeSoto resumed civilian production using its pre-war designs but without the powered pop-up headlights it had introduced in 1942, a first for the North American mass-production vehicle. Cord had also used hidden headlamps for its 1936 810 models, but they were hand-cranked. Post-War DeSoto models included the Deluxe and Custom designations until 1952, when they were joined by the range-topping Firedome.

All Chrysler products received all-new Virgil Exner's 'Forward Look' styling in 1955. All DeSoto models were now powered by a 291 cubic-inch V-8 with overhead valves, a cast-iron block, hydraulic valve lifters, five main bearings, and delivering 185 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. For 1956, the DeSoto line gained new tailfin styling, its first four-door hardtop, and a high-performance two-door called Adventurer. Introduced in the mid-model year 1956, the Adventurer was DeSoto's top-of-the-line performance flagship. The finned hardtop achieved speeds of 137 miles per hour at Daytona Beach and 144 miles at Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds banked oval, and served pace car duties for the Pike's Peak competition hill climb.

Lurking beneath the hood was an enlarged DeSoto Hemi engine rated at 320 horsepower. Its stunning performance was achieved without sacrificing luxury, and the long list of standard equipment included push-button control Powerflite automatic, power steering, a power seat, power windows, power brakes, windshield washers, and an electric clock. A custom interior with a padded dash and dual rearview mirrors was on the inside. The light gold seats (60/40 up front) had gold and white tweed in the seated portion of the benches, front and rear, and this theme carried through to the door panels. Space-age styling cues included dual-radio antennas resting atop the tail fins, a set of triple-lens rocket launcher taillights, and dual oval exhaust ports in the back bumper. The labor-intensive stitching pattern of the interior combined with rocket-age design cues throughout the vehicle, bridged the gap between the old American charm and the futuristic space-age era.

The 1957 Adventurer was introduced in December of 1956, two months after debuting the other models. The traditional launch in those days was from late September to early October. DeSoto's 1957 television commercials proudly declared, 'The most exciting car today is now delighting the far highway. It's DELOVELY! It's DYNAMIC! It's DeSOTO!'

Based on the Fireflite, the Adventurer came with unique color combinations of white with black and a gold side sweep and roof or gold with a white or black side sweep and roof. The grille mesh was gold anodized, and 'DESOTO' letters were on the front of the hood in gold, as was the stylized DeSoto emblem on the middle of the hood. In the previous model year, this emblem had been a fairly accurate depiction of Hernando DeSoto's coat of arms. Another Adventurer crest appears on each front fender, just ahead of the doors. In the center of this emblem is the Hernando DeSoto coat of arms. Another unique feature of the Adventurer convertible was the gold top.

Hernando DeSoto is recognized as the first European to cross the Mississippi River and among the ultimate Adventurer in North America, hence the Adventurer model becoming the ultimate DeSoto.

The Hemi in the Fireflite was a 295-horsepower, 341-cubic inch V-8 with a single four-barrel carburetor. DeSoto engineers bored the 341 to 345 cubic inches and installed dual quads to produce 345 horsepower or one horsepower per cubic inch. For 1958, the displacement grew to 361 cubic inches, and horsepower rose to 345 bhp. It used two four-barrel Carter carburetors, hydraulic valve lifters, five main bearings, overhead valves, and a 10.25:1 compression ratio. The standard transmission was the TorueFlite, and stopping power was by four-wheel power drum brakes. A Bendix-built electronic fuel injection system (EFI) was a $637.20 option offered only on the Adventurer, and only a few customers selected this option. With the EFI in place, the engine offered 355 horsepower at 5,000 RPM. Special nameplates above the front fender medallions announced the EFI option. Cars with the EFI were later recalled by the factory for re-conversion into the 'standard' carburetor setup. Only 35 examples of the Adventurer were equipped with the fuel injection system.

The hardtop coupe listed for $4,070, and the convertible coupe topped the list at $4,370. Just 82 examples of the convertible and 350 of the hardtop coupe were built in 1958. A total of 687 examples of Adventurers were built the following year.

Introduced in 1956 as a limited-production two-door hardtop and joined for 1957 through 1959 by the convertible, the Adventurer was DeSoto's premium high-performance, luxury model line, built in a similar concept and execution to Chrysler's 300-series 'Letter Cars.' By 1959, an economic recession hit DeSoto sales especially hard. Consequently, the distinctive 1957 through 1959 Adventurer line was followed for one last year, in 1960, with no more convertible body styles and fewer distinguishing features from the other DeSoto models available before the marque's demise in 1961.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible

This 1958 DeSoto Adventurer is one of 35 examples built by Chrysler with Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI). A total of 82 Adventurer convertibles were built in 1958, of which only five survive today. All of the EFI cars were recalled by Chrysler within one year, and the EFI units were replaced with conventional carburetion. Forty-four years later, the original EFI system was found in Pennsylvania, in the possession of the widow of J. Gerald Cassel, a Chrysler executive who had squirreled it away. The EFI system was refurbished and reinstalled, and the car is shown as delivered to William Dickson of Pittsburgh, PA, in January of 1958. The car is fully equipped with almost every optional equipment and accessory available through the dealer at the time it was built.

Convertible

This DeSoto is powered by a 361 cubic-inch over-head valve V8 engine developing 345 horsepower and coupled to a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission and was capable of a top speed of 125 mph. Only 82 vehicles were produced in the convertible body style. There are only five surviving, and three of those are in the United States. The Adventurer was a high-powered performance car with such amenities as swivel seats, dual headlamps, padded dashboards, and gold name plating. This unit is equipped with a radio and a record player. The Adventurer sold for between $3,997 and $4,749.

Convertible

DeSoto was a division of Chrysler, building cars from 1928 to 1961. The company's design focus was on aerodynamics and value. This particular Adventurer Convertible is one of 82 examples built in 1958. The 361 cubic-inch V8 engine offers 345 horsepower.

This particular example has been given a restoration.

The DeSoto was introduced in 1956 and produced through 1960. The two-door hardtop Adventurer had received its name from a DeSoto concept car. During its production lifespan, the car would endure both good and bad times. There were many reasons for the final demise of the vehicle. At the close of the 1950's, the country was experiencing economic turmoil which was causing the sales of most automobiles to decline. DeSoto could not advertise its vehicles to the same degree that other manufacturers could due to a limited budget. In 1958 quality control and recall problems plagued the company. By 1960 the DeSoto Company, owned by the Chrysler Corporation, ceased production.

Gold plating adorned the Adventurers mesh grille, and its wheels were turbine-style. When introduced, it did not have elaborate styling or flashy components, it was simply a clean and powerful automobile. Under the hood lurked a Hemi 5.6-liter V8 that produced between 230 and 320 horsepower. Power brakes were offered as standard equipment, and the suspension was modified to help control the horsepower produced by the engine. A push-button PowerFlite automatic, electric clock, dual rearview mirrors, padded dash, power windows, power steering, and power seats added to the amenities provided by the Adventurer. A record player was offered as optional equipment, but it was never very popular and was quickly discontinued.

The base price for a 1956 Adventurer was around $3680. This was less than most of its competition.

At Daytona Beach, a golden Adventurer achieved 137 miles per hour. At the Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds oval, it topped 144 miles per hour. There were no other vehicles offered that could outpace the Adventurer.

During the Adventurer's introductory year, nearly 1000 examples were produced. For 1957 the styling was enhanced, and fins were placed on the rear of the vehicle, a style that was growing in popularity at the time. A convertible option became available. The engine was enlarged from 341 to 345 cubic-inch increasing horsepower output to 345, one horsepower per cubic inch. The suspension was modified to keep up with the engine enhancements. These improvements helped the sale of 1950 Adventurers for 1957, an increase of almost half from the prior year.

In 1958 only 423 examples were produced. This was due to several factors, including an economic recession and changing market trends that had other manufacturers producing more vehicles. A big reason, however, was quality. The Hemi engine was replaced with a cheaper-to-build engine that produced equivalent horsepower. Fuel injection was standard but often failed, causing the company to issue recalls. The Bendix EFI system was later replaced with carburetors. Many DeSotos leaked, had faulty transmissions, or a slew of other problems. This kept people from visiting the DeSoto showrooms.

In 1959 the exterior of the car received aesthetic modifications. Swivel bucket seats were part of the interior modifications. This helped entry and exit from the low-sitting car. Sales climbed to a respectable 687 units.

For 1960 the Adventurer name was available on nearly all DeSoto automobiles. Sales for the entire vehicle line-up continued to decline, causing the Chrysler Corporation to discontinue the DeSoto marque in mid-November of 1960.

by Dan Vaughan