1941 DeSoto, Classic DeSoto Ads
1941 DeSoto – Classic DeSoto Ads

I was born in 1965, and to the best of my memory, I never saw a DeSoto being used as a daily driver. Of course, cars didn’t last quite as long in those days, and by the time I was paying attention to cars, the last of the DeSotos would have been almost 10 years old.

More Classic Car Ads

10 Classic DeSoto Ads

Still, for a dead brand, DeSoto did some serious living. A division of the Chrysler Corporation, the brand spanned 33 years, including a very small batch of swan-song 1961 models.

On Chrysler’s corporate ladder, DeSoto was positioned between the sporty and affordable Dodge brand, and the more upscale Chrysler marque. In its last years, DeSoto was more or less positioned to complete with Oldsmobile and Mercury in the new-car marketplace.

Two big factors that played a role in DeSoto’s downfall were a pair of recessions in quick succession, and the deploying of more entry-level models by the Chrysler brand.

 Those recessions came in 1958 and 1960, and helped to wipe out not only DeSoto, but Edsel and eventually Studebaker as well. U.S. car sales hovered around 6 million units annually between 1957 and 1961, down from 7.4 million in 1955.

Also putting the hurt on DeSoto sales was Chrysler’s entry-level Windsor model line. Where DeSoto’s upper midlevel Fireflite models ranged in price from roughly $3800 to $4400, Chrysler’s Windsor models were aggressively priced in the $3800-$4000 range. Many customers saw the Chryslers as a better value than the DeSotos, and made purchases accordingly.

Fun brand note: The DeSoto name was used by Chrysler for a line of trucks sold in South America and in some European markets. An Argentine DeSoto truck ad can be seen below.

If you have any special DeSoto memories you’d like to share, the place to leave comments is down below.

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1936

1936 DeSoto Ad
1936 DeSoto Ad

 

1939

1939 DeSoto Ad
1939 DeSoto Ad

 

1941

1941 DeSoto Ad
1941 DeSoto Ad

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1949

1949 DeSoto Ad
1949 DeSoto Ad

 

1954

1954 DeSoto Ad
1954 DeSoto Ad (Australia)

 

1955

1955 DeSoto Ad
1955 DeSoto Ad

 

1956

1956 DeSoto Ad
1956 DeSoto Ad

 

1957

1957 DeSoto Ad
1957 DeSoto Ad

 

1959

1959 DeSoto Ad
1959 DeSoto Ad

 

1961

1961 DeSoto Truck Ad
1961 DeSoto Ad (Argentina)

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