The DeSoto Firedome was a full-size automobile produced between 1952 and 1959 by
DeSoto automobiles, a division of the
Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
Corporation. Introduced as DeSoto's premium line of vehicles in 1953 and 1954, the Firedome also occupied the least expensive position in the model lineup during 1955 and 1956 model years before it was reclassified as a mid-range vehicle offered by DeSoto between 1957 and 1959.
Topline series, 1952–1954
The 1953 Firedome was introduced just prior to DeSoto's 25th Anniversary in 1953, and arrived as the new top series, displacing the
Custom
Custom, customary, or consuetudinary may refer to:
Traditions, laws, and religion
* Convention (norm), a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted rules, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom
* Norm (social), a r ...
nameplate which was retired at the end of the 1952 model year. The entire De Soto model lineup was restyled and Firedome prices started at
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
2,740 ($ in dollars ). During the 1953 model year, approximately 64,211 examples were produced.
The Firedome could seat six passengers. It was available as a 4-door
sedan, 5-door
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 ( ...
, 2-door
coupe
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
and 2-door
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
. The AM radio was US$85 ($ in dollars ).
The Firedome was powered by a
Hemi
Hemi may refer to:
People Surname
* Jack Hemi (1914–1996), New Zealand freezing worker, rugby union and league player, shearer
* Ronald Hemi (1933–2000), New Zealand rugby union player
Given name
* Hemi Bawa, Indian painter and sculptor
* H ...
V8 engine producing 160 hp (120 kW) and had a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h). The car weighed 3,700 lb (1,700 kg) and had a 0–60 mph (100 km/h) time of 15.5 seconds. This was the first time that DeSoto offered an 8-cylinder engine in one of its models since 1931. By 1953, DeSoto's Firedome Hemi V-8 produced 170 horsepower.
File:1953 DeSoto Firedome (15897706033).jpg, 1953 DeSoto Firedome 2-door coupe
File:TCM19 08 - De Soto.jpg, 1954 DeSoto Firedome 2-door convertible
Entry-level series 1955–1956
In 1955, Chrysler dropped its
6-cylinder 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 ...
series and added the topline
Fireflite series, pushing the Firedome down to entry level status. Still, the Firedome was not a cheap offering, retaining its
V8 engine
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...
, but increasing the 276 c.i. displacement to 291 c.i. with a larger bore, a power boost to 185 horsepower, and coming with a host of features and interior upgrades that were lacking in the Powermaster series. While Powerflite 2-speed
automatics
Automatics are an English punk rock and new wave band that was formed by Dave Philp in 1976 after a brief stint as the singer with The Boys.
History
Along with the Sex Pistols and The Damned, the Automatics regularly played the Marquee Cl ...
were advertised as optional transmission equipment on the Firedome, officially the car was also offered with a 3-speed
manual
Manual may refer to:
Instructions
* User guide
* Owner's manual
* Instruction manual (gaming)
* Online help
Other uses
* Manual (music), a keyboard, as for an organ
* Manual (band)
* Manual transmission
* Manual, a bicycle technique similar to ...
as standard equipment, although few were produced.
In 1956,the Firedome V-8 got still another boost in horsepower, to 230 H.P., an increase of 45 horsepower over the previous year.
File:55 DeSoto Firedome Sportsman (9340387254).jpg, 1955 DeSoto Firedome Sportsman 2-door
File:DeSoto Firedome 1956 Rear.jpg, 1956 DeSoto Firedome 2-door rear
File:1956 DeSoto Firedome sedan at 2015 Macungie show 1of3.jpg, 1956 DeSoto Firedome 4-door sedan
Midline series 1957–1959
The series was again moved upmarket in the model offering when the 1957 DeSotos were introduced, with the new entry-level Dodge-based
Firesweep. A new air-conditioner was offered.
By 1958 the horsepower had increased to over 300 (220 kW) with the option of the 361 cubic-inch (5,920 cc) V8 engine. Zero to 60 mph (100 km/h) now took just under eight seconds with a top speed of . However 1958 DeSoto's sales skidded by almost 60% from 1957's model year output, partially due to the economy and partially because of build issues with the 1957 models.
In an attempt to attract buyers, Chrysler offered the 1959 DeSoto Firedome in 26 solid colors and 190 two-tone finishes. By the end of the 1959 model year, Chrysler was struggling to find buyers for its DeSoto automobiles. Despite the wide variety of models available, consumers shunned DeSoto automobiles as rumor circulated that Chrysler would phase out the marque. A padded dash was standard.
Firedome production ended at the end of the 1959 model year.
For the 1960 model year DeSoto offered two models, the
Fireflite and the
Adventurer
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
. For model year 1961, a model named only "DeSoto" was sold as a two-door hardtop and four-door hardtop. The end of the DeSoto marque came on November 30, 1960, 48 days after the 1961 models were introduced, ending 32 years of production.
File:57 DeSoto Firedome (9135094876)crop.jpg, 1957 DeSoto Firedome 4-door sedan rear
File:1958 DeSoto Firedome 2 Door Sportsman.jpg, 1958 DeSoto Firedome Sportsman 2-door
File:De Soto Firedome Sports 1959.jpg, 1959 DeSoto Firedome 2-door
References
*
{{DeSoto (automobile)
Firedome
Cars introduced in 1952
Coupés
Convertibles
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles