1951 DeSoto Custom

The first postwar DeSoto automobiles arrived in March of 1949 with a full range of body styles except for station wagons which arrived in July, just in time for a late summer vacation or returning the kids to school. These were the first DeSoto wagons since before World War II, with all models advertised as being 'Designed With You in Mind.'

The DeSoto automobiles built from 1946 to the arrival of the new postwar models (March 1949) were pre-war models with mild styling updates. Models were known as Deluxe and Custom, with the 1946-48 utilizing a 121.5-inch wheelbase or a long 139.5-inch platform. The L-head six-cylinder engine displaced 236.7 cubic inches and had solid valve lifters, four main bearings, and produced approximately 110 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. A three-speed manual transmission was standard in Deluxes, and a Gyrol Fluid Drive with Tip-Toe Shift four-speed was standard in the Customs (optional in the Deluxes).

The 1949 DeSoto models continued to wear the Deluxe and Custom nameplates on a standard 125.5-inch wheelbase or a longer 139.5-inch platform. The 236.7 cubic-inch L-head six-cylinder engine now delivered 112 horsepower at 3,600 RPM, and a three-speed manual transmission remained standard on the Custom and a Gyrol Fluid Drive on Customs. Body styling was similar on both, with the Custom having a higher level of chrome trim and a nicer interior with additional standard amenities. Styling elements included shorter overhangs front and rear, a new, taller roof structure, and a tooth-like grille.

Deluxe body styles included a sedan, a club coupe, a 9-passenger station wagon, and an all-new body style called the 6-passenger Carry-All sedan. The Carry-All had a fold-down rear seat that when lowered, offered eight feet of storage space. The station wagon was another new addition, entering production in July 1949.

1951 DeSoto Custom
The 1951 DeSoto Custom was priced approximately $200 higher than the 'entry level' Deluxe Series with body styles on the standard 125.5-inch wheelbase platform including a sedan, club coupe, Sportsman hardtop, a convertible coupe, and a station wagon. The 139.5-inch long-wheelbase platform included an eight-passenger sedan and a nine-passenger suburban. The Deluxe body styles included a sedan, club coupe, and carry-all on the standard wheelbase and an eight-passenger sedan on the long-wheelbase platform.

Updates were minor for 1951, distinguished by updates to the hood, which now sloped toward a 'toothier,' broader grille. The wraparound bumper was more substantial and resided beneath the grille. Single round headlights with chrome bezels rested above the grille on rounded, slightly protruding fenders.

The Deluxe models had small hubcaps on super rim wheels wrapped with Safety Cushion tires, Oriflow shock absorbers, Floating Power engine mounts, and 12-inch brakes. The Custom had 'Custom, Sportsman or Suburban' nameplates on the front fenders, behind the wheel opening. The Sportsman and convertible coupe came with whitewall tires and full wheel covers.

The sedan was priced at $2,440, the club coupe at $2,420, the Sportsman Hardtop at $2,760, the convertible coupe at $2,860, and the station wagon at $3,050. The range-topping LWB (long wheelbase) sedan listed at $3,200, and the suburban at $3,570.

The L-head six-cylinder engine had a displacement size of 250.6 cubic inches, a cast iron block, a 3.438-inch bore, a 4.5-inch stroke, and 7.0:1 compression. It had five main bearings and delivered 116 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. The Tip-Toe Shift Fluid Drive (Prest-O-Matic) automatic transmission was standard.

Approximately 121,794 examples of the DeSoto and Custom (combined) were built during the 1951 model year, including 3,910 Custom convertibles, 6,775 Custom hardtops, and 1,637 Custom station wagons.

DeSoto continued the DeLuxe and Custom Series nameplates in 1952, but the Custom became an 'intermediate' model with the arrival of the new top-of-the-line Firedome model. For 1953, the 'entry-level' model was the PowerMaster Six and the top-of-the-line Firedome V8. A new eight-cylinder engine was introduced in 1952, known as the DeSoto Hemi V8, with a 276.1 cubic-inch displacement and delivering 160 horsepower. DeSoto vehicles would continue to grow in size and stature throughout the 1950s, ultimately shuttering its doors after 1961, bringing an end to 32 years of production.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2023