DeSoto had been a Chrysler Corp. brand since the 1920s. But by the 1950s, it was getting to be too much like a Chrysler for buyers to tell the difference. So, in late 1960, almost a year to the day after Ford pulled the plug on the ill-fated Edsel, Chrysler delivered the same fate to the DeSoto, and 1961 would be its last effort. In 1960, the Adventurer was the top-of-the-line DeSoto, but only 2,759 copies of the 2-door hardtop were sold as most buyers opted for the Chrysler Windsor instead. This example has been owned by the same family for ages, but storage in a damp place caused damage to the unibody. Located in Monroe, Michigan, this Mopar is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $4,750.
The Adventurer began as a concept car that turned into a DeSoto series from 1956 to 1960. It was something of a luxury performance model at first, though not quite on the same scale as the Chrysler 300 Letter Series. In its final run in 1960, they expanded the cars’ color options and the HiWay HiFi became an option (an under-the-dash record player that somehow worked). Buyers still flocked to the Windsor because the only visual cues were the grillwork and taillights used on the Adventurer.
This rare DeSoto has been relisted at a lower price because the previous attempt to sell the car resulted in a disappearing buyer. The vehicle has been in the same family for 47 years, so it must be like parting with one of your favorite kin. It’s not a running car at the moment, but the engine can be turned over with effort (a 383 cubic inch V8/2-barrel). The car wears black and white paint with a two-tone interior.
Because of a storage issue, the trunk and passenger compartment will need floor pans (rust was a problem in this era of Chrysler products). The front frame rails have also been subjected to corrosion. This may not be the easiest of restorations, but you’d end up with a rare automobile. How many of these almost end-of-the-line DeSoto Adventurer hardtops could be left out there? Hats off to Barn Finder “Ted” for this interesting tip!
any car sitting in poor , damp conditions will end up with floor and trunk pan issues , it doesn’t matter what year or what make – The holy grail of automobiles will suffer the same fate as a run of the mill grocery getter. That being said, it would help if they actually showed the rust ; a snow belts version of rust is far different from a Sothern Californians
Just a note, those optional “HiFi” record players could only be used while the car was standing still, for obvious reasons. And the problem as I see it with this car, assuming you go ahead and dump a lot of cash to restore it, is “what is that, a Chrysler?” They do resemble a Chrysler too much ( though both are attractive).
Needs floor pans and the frame rails need attention. Were these body-on-frame or unibody?
Two-thirds Unibody with a front subframe for the remaining third. The frame rails are part of the subframe.
Thanks Tiger, OK, so it’s the same as my 65 New Yorker and 67 Newport.
I’d probably avoid a car with rusted subframe.
Winter is coming and it looks like it’s stuck outside. The seller has already reduced the price, there is a good chance they will be willing to do so again. There are a lot of issues for this car, unless the seller can’t find the person who considers this their “dream car”, it will need to compete on price along with every other project car on the market.
Steve R