Established in 1925, the Chrysler Corporation expanded rapidly. By the end of the decade, it purchased Dodge and Fargo Trucks and established two new divisions, Plymouth and DeSoto.
Created to compete with companies like Pontiac, Studebaker, Hudson, and Willys in the mid-price car market, DeSoto sold lower-priced versions of Chrysler automobiles for most of its existence. Relatively successful initially, DeSoto became a slow-selling brand in the 1950s.
With Dodge moving upmarket with certain models and Chrysler developing more affordable Newport, DeSoto lost its place within the Corporation. In 1961, some 33 years after its creation, DeSoto was phased out. The brand doesn’t get much attention nowadays, but it left a few iconic nameplates behind.
The Adventurer is perhaps the most celebrated, but diehard fans also remember the Firedome and Fireflite. The Airflow is also worth mentioning. But I’m here to talk about a short-lived and lesser-known automobile, the Firesweep.
An entry-level full-size car based on the Dodge Coronet, the Firesweep debuted in 1957 in four body styles. DeSoto offered a two-door hardtop, four-door hardtop sedan, and station wagon. The following year, DeSoto added a two-door convertible to the lineup.
Although it became the company’s best-selling nameplate, outgunning both the Fireflite and Firedome, the Firesweep was discontinued after only three model years. DeSoto shipped 81,517 units, so the Firesweep is far from rare. However, the wagon you see here is actually pretty scarce.
Of the 41,269 Firesweeps delivered in 1957, only 3,468 examples rolled off the assembly line with four doors and a long roof. This figure includes both six- and nine-passenger versions. The latter, called the Explorer, moved 1,198 units. This six-passenger variant, dubbed Shopper, is one of 2,270 examples made. And it’s probably one of fewer than 100 still in one piece today.
Unfortunately, this Shopper is not a pretty sight. Parked in a yard for decades, it needs more than a cleaning to spring back to life. The sheet metal shows significant rust, while the interior needs a complete makeover. Making matters worse, the original engine and transmission are long gone. The odometer reads 73,600 miles (118,448 km), but it’s unclear if it’s authentic or not. And needless to say, it doesn’t matter much, given the car’s condition.
In case you’re wondering, this Shopper was born with a 341-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 engine under the hood. The gearbox was a push-button automatic, and the mill was rated at 295 horsepower.
If you think this station wagon deserves a second chance, it’s parked in Tijeras, New Mexico, and the owner wants $3,400 to let it go. The car doesn’t have a title, and the seller says the price will increase if it’s found. Is this rare DeSoto worth restoring? For reference, restored 1957 Firesweeps can fetch over $60,000 at public auction.
