Barn finder T.J. is at it again, this time with the discovery of this 1948 DeSoto DeLuxe coupe. And this may be the first listing that I’ve encountered where there are more images of documentation than there are of the car. It’s a former museum piece and now it’s looking for a new caretaker. Located in Michigan City, Indiana, this representative of the long-gone Chrysler Corporation brand is available, here on craigslist for $13,950.
If ever there was an automobile that just screamed 1948, I’d say it’s this DeSoto with its waterfall grille, coupe roofline, full-width sun visor, and its turquoise finish. The seller states, “Not a show car, does have some minor imperfections” and further adds, “Body is solid“. Regardless, the four included images show no sign of stress or a problem. All of the stainless trim and chrome plated bits have a very strong luster; it’s difficult to discern any negatives. The narrow white-stripe tires aren’t in keeping with this coupe’s era but I find them to be an enhancement over the original wide whitewalls – and the seller claims that they are new.
The interior is not well photographed but from what can be seen the driver’s side of the front bench seat is starting to give it up. The dash and instrument panel are works of art! The vertical chrome grille and deco gauge character font are pretty typical for the era with mid-tier cars. Also typical, unfortunately, is the disintegrating steering wheel rim. A more comprehensive view of the interior would have been appreciated – as it is, it just invites more questions.
Speaking of skimping on images, there are none of the 109 HP, 236 CI in-line six-cylinder engine – a real faux pas in my estimation. The seller states that he’ll make them available but just one, included in the listing, would go a long way with the sales effort. He does state, “fires right up every time!“. Gear changing happens courtesy of Tip-Toe Shift, a semi-automatic transmission arrangement.
DeSoto’s story is an interesting one. Conceived as an in-betweeney brand, it occupied both the slot above and below Dodge over time. In 1948, it still put up a respectable volume of 98K units, and those numbers even improved into the ’50s. But ultimately the marque got whip-sawed by Chrysler and Dodge in terms of positioning and brand management. The 1958 recession was of no help and ultimately, ChryCo closed DeSoto’s doors in 1961. This example looks like a great find, it seems at the outset that it really needs nothing. If you’re interested in owning a product from one of the domestic fallen flags, this DeSoto would be a great choice, wouldn’t you agree?
Looks like a very reasonable price. I LOVE the DeSoto grille, dash and hood ornament! Too bad seller didn’t spend more time taking pix of the car instead of the documents.
Beautiful car!
Looks like a nice post war car. Chrysler was slow to move forward in outside design. Ford’s new car came a year later. But you could wear a hat in a Chrysler product! Seriously this should handle weekend drives well and new owner should have little to do to bring it up to that status. Got to love the art deco era that was coming to light then.
Only because I live with an artist, I have to chime in on the Art Deco era.The Art Deco era was the 1920’s through the 1930’s. One of the best examples of Art Deco architecture is the Chrysler Building in New York City. There is also an amazing collection of Art Deco automobiles and interior design at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, CA. We visited on a SoCal vacation and were blown away by the cars and Deco items on display. Check out the Mullin website. Cheers
T.J. You are finding some awesome vehicles !
Great write ups too !
Keep up the great work !
Thank You
Thank You to all the other finders and writers here at B F !
👍👍😊😊
Beautiful `48 and fairly well kept. I wonder if there are reproductions avail. of the bakelite (early plastic) steering wheel to swap out? This one may be only a six, but that can help keep enjoying a car like this economical. Definitely a driver, you can turn heads at cruise-in’s on weekends! The price seems fair for as solid as this is too!
It definitely looks like a great deal. Something I could afford and enjoy. Yes it’s Not a Show Car. But a good looker. Show cars are very pricey. If I’d live closer I would have already called. Great car and price to knock around locally. And enjoy the car. Thanks for Reading. Remember this: “If You Ain’t Having Fun Than You’re Probably Doing It Wrong.
DeSoto was created because Chrysler’s attempt to purchase Dodge Brothers assets failed. The same year DeSoto was launched, Chrysler was finally able to purchase Dodge. This gave them two mid-priced brands and created an identity crisis for DeSoto from which it never really recovered.
Narrow whitewalls were still about 10 years in the future when this car was built, but it was relatively common for Chrysler products of the late 40s to wear blackwall tires with white trim rings on the wheels, often called “beauty rings,” in place of true whitewall tires, which were a bit scarce due to lingering material shortages from WWII.
we have a 47 kaiser frazier; it looks simular;very nice cars and heavy;hope to get ours done soon;it is in primer now;trying to find the right colors;this one is not bad;
Nice trailer queen, BF.
I’d buy it just to stare at it sitting in my garage if I had a garage to park it in.
Smitten again.
Oh well.
Bob
A friend of mine bought a ’48 Dodge in 1975. It had the straight six and the three speed with fluid drive. I thought my ’52 Buick Super with Dynaflow was slow off the line. Try putting a Dodge in 3rd gear and dumping the clutch. :D