By 1960, DeSoto had been a Chrysler brand for 32 years. It was the fifth brand in the corporate family (surrounded by Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, and Imperial). Which had become one too many when the 1958 economic recession arrived. The DeSoto was redesigned with the rest of Chrysler-land in 1960, but that didn’t help sales, which dropped to just 26,000 units. The seller’s ’60 Adventurer is a barn find that appears to have been cleaned up, though it doesn’t run. From a dusty perch in Cortland, Ohio, this vintage project is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $5,500. Once again, T.J. nailed it regarding tips!
Demand was such that DeSoto had scaled back to only two products in 1960, the Fireflite and Adventurer. The latter was the top model and was offered as 2- and 4-door hardtops and a 4-door sedan. Only 5,746 Adventurer sedans were produced in 1960, so the seller’s car would have to be rare today (how many could be left?). Sales did not perk up when the 1961 editions were launched, so DeSoto threw in the towel just two months into the selling season. Ironically, it was almost a year to the day when Ford gave up on the Edsel.
For whatever reason, this DeSoto has been barn-bound since the early 1970s. The odometer reads just 28,000 miles, which would be kind of early for something major mechanically to have gone wrong. We’re assuming it’s only just now seen daylight for the first time in five decades, as many of the pics show it washed and cleaned up. This Adventurer has a 383 cubic inch V,8 which is locked up along with the rear wheels. A push-button transmission is also in the mix.
We’re told the sheet metal is solid, so maybe rust still won’t be in the way of a restoration (these cars were unibodies beginning in 1960). The interior could be okay for the passage of time, and the tires will hold air, but would not be used for anything other than loading and unloading on a trailer. DeSoto is a forgotten brand, so if you can get the car running again, it might raise a few eyebrows at Cars & Coffee.
I think this is a nice car for the price. 👍👍
At least they made the effort to take it out and give it a bath. I hope it finds a good home.
I’m wondering if the “cleaned up photos” were taken in the 70’s, before the car was parked.
Love the back lights on these.
Tail lights look like bat wings!
Maybe cut the water pump belt and try the crank bolt. Hopefully the mice haven’t chewed up the wires. It looks like it’d be a fun cruiser.
Sadly, a lot of these were scrapped from ’60 onward because they were considered orphan vehicles and that parts for
them no longer existed. But if you back up, put on your thinking
cap, you’d find that THERE WERE
indeed available for them. And they weren’t brand specific either.
A 383 was a 383 and anything your local dealer had on the shelf
would fit these cars. But, that’s
the fire sale mentality people had
back then. Perfect low mileage cars were dumped on used car lots, put away, or scrapped. At least that’s how it was in the Midwest when I was growing up.
Once folks heard that DeSoto was going out of business, folks
panicked and there was no need
for it. And it wasn’t helped any when Chrysler told it’s dealers to
spread the “No parts” lie just to
scare a DeSoto owner into buying
a Chrysler that was the same car
they had in the first place! Saw the same thing happen in ’66 when Studebaker shut down. And again, people went batsh*t
crazy. Banks and credit unions
called in loans and bank notes on
any adult that owned a Studebaker because some jerk at
the bank didn’t do his homework on the matter and started a panic
among the share holders. As for
this car, I’d yank the 383 and swap in a 440, redo the brakes and fuel systems, then drive and
enjoy while fixing what’s left as time and money permit.
That is interesting, Ken. I once had a Ford salesman tell me I’d better buy a full-sized F-150 right then, because Ford was going to discontinue the standard 8′ bed /tailgate configuration. I guess he wasn’t wrong, it just took another 10 years.
Now this is a “Car in Barn”! Photo as it sat, cleaned up photos, complete, at a decent price. Interior looks surprisingly good. My sister and brother in law have a turquoise 58 Firesweep driver.
It appears there was an engine fire at some point. If the inside of the hood is any indication.
I see that headliner mice like old car interior and the new cars they like soy wire covering
neat car and those miles could be true. needs a lot of work though.
I am a DeSoto aficionado and I hope that someone rescues this and gets it back on the road. I think that undertaking this project will be more involved than it may seem at first glance. Beyond the stated issues involving the running gear; rodent damage is evident from the state of the headliner and under the hood and will occupy more than a small investment in time and money to correct. I agree with Bob in Tennessee that the “after” photos are not reflective of the current state of the vehicle. If the engine, transmission and rear brakes are locked how did the seller get the car out of the barn? If I were the seller I’d advertise in the National DeSoto newsletter. I also think that if they find a buyer willing to fork over a couple of thousand dollars they should be happy. GLWTS.
Headliner looks to be mice-infested.