How did Chrysler get the idea to make the DeSoto?

How did Chrysler get the idea to make the DeSoto?

Letting the bankers squirm a while, Chrysler proceeded with his plans for the DeSoto. When Chrysler did buy Dodge three months later, for a price more to his liking, it was still at the time the largest corporate merger in history. Several weeks before the Dodge deal closed, DeSoto began producing cars.

What was the name of the first DESOTO?

The first DeSoto was called the Series K. Needing to develop this car quickly meant Chrysler engineers had to borrow the platform they had developed for the new Plymouth. To differentiate DeSoto, the lesser brand’s 45hp 4-banger was swapped for the more sporting feel of a 55hp 6-cylinder engine.

When did the DeSoto model CF come out?

DeSoto sold 81,000 cars in an extended 1929 model year. It was a record for a new car brand that would stand for more than 30 years. A new DeSoto arrived in 1931. Called the Model CF, it had a barrel style radiator reminiscent of the successful Miller racing cars that were dominating the Indy 500.

What kind of car is a 1952 DeSoto Firedome?

Gateway Classic Cars DFW is excited to present a 1952 DeSoto Firedome. This Streetrod is sitting on a 88 GM 1/2 ton van chassis and drivetrain, featuring its Fuel injected 350 small blocks backed b…

When did Chrysler stop making the DeSoto car?

DeSoto offered just two models, the Adventurer and Fireflite, in 1960. Chrysler announced its decision to kill the DeSoto on November 19, 1960 and decided to produce a two-door and four-door DeSoto—neither car was given a model name—until it ran out of parts.

How does the driver control the upshift on a DeSoto?

The driver can directly control the timing of automatic upshifts by use of the accelerator pedal. Greatly simplified, rugged construction requiring very little maintenance vs. a 1950Õs fully automatic transmission. Driver must depress clutch pedal every time the shift lever is moved.

How did the DeSoto car get its name?

Walter Chrysler launched the brand in 1928 and named it for Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. Chrysler wanted a line of cars to compete with mid-priced models from the likes of Oldsmobile, Studebaker, and Hudson. The company sold 81,065 cars in 1929, an inaugural record that stood until Ford introduced the Falcon in 1960.

What was the total number of DeSotos sold?

DeSoto celebrated its 30th anniversary by selling just 45,700 cars. Even as all of this was happening, Chrysler’s so-called Special Car Committee started developing what would become the company’s first compact cars, the Plymouth Valiant and Dodge Lancer.