The 1958 model year was a tough one for U.S. automobile manufacturers. Due to an economic recession, everyone’s sales were down except for the few that offered compact cars. DeSoto was especially hit hard as Chrysler was trying to justify four primary makes. Sales of DeSoto-branded cars were off by 40%, including the Firesweep which was the division’s entry point. This example sports an older restoration and is powered by a one-year-only 350 cubic inch V8. Located in Walsenburg, Colorado, this solid Mopar is available here on craigslist for $12,500. An attaboy goes to Rocco B. for another fine tip!
DeSoto joined the Chrysler ranks in 1928 and managed to secure its position into the late 1950s. By then, buyers were having difficulty seeing a meaningful difference for the DeSoto between Dodge and Chrysler offering competing products. Sales continued to fall, with another 60% hit in 1959. Seeing no positive future for the brand, Chrysler pulled the plug on DeSoto just into the 1961 model year, much like Ford did with the ill-fated Edsel the same month a year earlier.
The seller’s 1958 Firesweep has two-tone white-over-red paint, but less chrome and assorted bling as the upper series DeSoto’s. This 4-door sedan is said to have more than 150,000 miles, but that doesn’t matter much as it was restored some time ago. Out of only 50,000 DeSoto’s produced in 1958, 40% were Firesweeps and 10,000 or so as 4-door sedans, including the basic Sportsman version (the cheapest DeSoto you could buy).
We’re told this vehicle runs and drives well and has new brakes. Besides the 350 V8, the car has Chrysler’s push-button automatic transmission, something all company products would use through 1964. With dual exhaust, the automobile should sound sweet, and we assume this is a turnkey vehicle. If you’re looking to get into the classic car scene and drive something most of the other guys don’t have, how about a DeSoto instead of a finned Dodge or Plymouth?
Howard Cunningham approved.
????
You weren’t around in 1975? Chuck, Richie, and Joanie’s dear old dad.
Ok, Curt. Got it now. All I remember is the Fonz. Everything else paled in comparison.
Nice car. I wonder if it’s the same engine as in the 58 Fury.
I think Furys used Poly 318s. Completely different engine series.
1957 Had the 318 V800 Poly dual quad engine in the Fury. the 350 low deck big block with the Golden Commando Dual Quad 305 HP engine came in the 1958 Fury along with the 318. If the desoto came with a 350, It would have came with a 4 barrel. I believe a 361 was available also on the higher echelon models.
Looks-wise, DeSotos are my favorite American ’58s. This one looks very nice, but I’ve heard bad stuff about the Forward Look cars in terms of reliability. What’s everybody’s opinion?
The car is 67 years old. How much more reliability do you need?
I think he means they were prematurely rusting compared to others.
A beautiful and scarce `58 DeSoto. IMHO, all it really needs is a set of period correct wide whitewalls from Coker, and the open road! Hopefully that 350 was rebuilt well.
Sportsman was DeSoto’s term for its hardtop models. Many makes had names for their hardtops. Olds had Holiday, Pontiac had Vista, etc.
I noticed (lately!) that these bottom-of-the-range DeSotos and Chrysler Windsors used Dodge front sheetmetal quite different from the senior cars.
This has the DeSoto-only front end. Some Canadian models did swap Dodge/DeSoto/Chrysler sheet meetal.
“But less chrome & assorted bling”
Have you seen this car? The entire front end is chrome. Not just chrome but THICK chrome.
The thickness of the chrome is just mindboggling. And this is near the low end.
I think the 1958 upscale cars were much classier, had much less chrome, and were quite different up front from bottom-entries like the pictured car.
Thick is right! My dad had a ’57 Firesweep. It had the same thick chrome lip over the headlights as the ’58, except it was designed for single, rather than dual, headlights. He had an accident with the car when someone in a ’53 Plymouth pulled out of their driveway into his path. The whole side of the Plymouth was dented, but the only damage to my dad’s DeSoto was a crack and bend in the chrome lip over the driver side headlight. A photo of the accident scene even made the Burlington, Vermont newspaper! If I could figure out how to attach a copy of the photo and caption, I would.
@Phil Maniatty
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This one is a really cool car! The 350 is the baby brother of the 383; the littlest of the B series. No reason in the world not to replace it with a 383 if the 350 isn’t all it’s advertised.
I’ll give this DeSoto two thumbs up. I recently rejoined the National DeSoto club and the local chapter. So I am casually looking for a DeSoto. This could fill the bill nicely but I have other things that are more pressing right now. GLWTS.
Beautiful car. Even if I wasn’t a Mopar guy, what’s not to like?? Yeah its a 4 door, but it still has that great STYLE! Put some 2” whitewalls on it, find the proper air cleaner, and be the only guy at the car show with one of these.
Put a hodgepodge Dodge in your garage.
If only this was a 1958 DeSoto Adventurer convertible..one of the most beautiful cars ever made.