The DeSoto Series S-10 is an

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produced by DeSoto from 1942 through to the 1952 model year. While in production, the Series S-10, which was sold with the trim package DeLuxe, was DeSoto's entry-level car, and was offered primarily as two-door and four-door sedans while the Custom offered upscale interiors and appearance including a 7-passenger sedan and the extended-wheelbase

Suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

sedans. The body was claimed to be "rust proofed". The DeLuxe differed from the more upmarket Custom line by virtue of the traits found in base models, namely less trim, fewer standard features, and plainer interiors in fewer color combinations. A six-tube and an eight-tube radio were optional. The Deluxe shared its engine with the Custom, and was powered by Chrysler's L-head

six-cylinder engine The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

, delivering at 3600 rpm. The DeSoto had full instrumentation. Deluxes produced during the 1946, 1947, 1948 and first half of the 1949 model years used DeSoto's prewar bodies, slightly updated following the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In 1948, low-pressure tires became standard equipment. Custom models, along with Deluxe models, produced during the 1946, 1947, 1948 and first half of the 1949 model years used DeSoto's prewar bodies. A fully redesigned Custom was launched in the second half of 1949, along with a redesigned Deluxe, and these cars are referred to as “1949 Second Series” models. In 1950, the Custom gained DeSoto's first

station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...

body style, which was not offered as a Deluxe and gave the choice of optional wooden panels bonded to the exterior steel body. The Custom also received DeSoto's first hardtop coupe, which featured pillarless door design and offered interior equipment and refinement from the convertible, and again, the Deluxe was excluded from the premium body style. Standard equipment included two-speed electric windshield wipers, a trunk light and full carpeting. In 1951, the brakes grew to 12 inches in diameter. The Deluxe remained DeSoto's base model until it was replaced by the

DeSoto Powermaster The DeSoto Powermaster was an automobile built by DeSoto during model years 1952 to 1954. The car debuted during DeSoto's 25th anniversary, taking the place of the entry-level DeSoto Deluxe. The Powermaster was a full-size car, offered in pillare ...

in 1953, while Customs were unseated as DeSoto's premium model range with the introduction of the V8-powered 1952 Firedome model range of cars. File:DeSoto Deluxe 1949.jpg, 1949 DeSoto Deluxe Four-Door Sedan File:'52 DeSoto (Auto classique VAQ Mont St-Hilaire '11).jpg, 1952 DeSoto Deluxe Club Coupe

References

{{DeSoto (automobile) Series S-10 Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Coupés Sedans Cars introduced in 1942 1940s cars 1950s cars