DeSoto Firedome
The DeSoto Firedome was a large passenger car that Chrysler offered under the DeSoto brand from 1952 to 1959. In the first two years of production, the Firedome was the top model of the brand, in 1955 and 1956 it was the cheapest model, in order to occupy the middle position in the last three years.
1952–1954: top model
The 1953 model year Firedome was introduced shortly before the brand's 25th birthday and replaced the top model of the Custom , which was discontinued at the end of 1952. The entire DeSoto model range has been revised; the price list for the Firedome started at $ 2,740. In the 1953 model year, 64,211 were built.
The Firedome had 6 seats. It was available as a 4-door sedan , 5-door station wagon , 2-door coupe and 2-door convertible .
The cars had a V8 Chrysler Hemi engine with 160 bhp (118 kW) and reached a top speed of 160 km / h. They weighed around 1,700 kg and accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in 15.5 seconds. For the first time since 1931 DeSoto offered a car with an 8-cylinder engine.
1955–1956: entry-level model
In 1955 DeSoto gave up the Powermaster with a 6-cylinder engine and instead produced the top-of-the-range Fireflite , so that the Firedome mutated into an entry-level model. The Firedome was still not a cheap car because it had a V8 engine, lots of equipment inside and out; Things that didn't exist at the Powermaster. Although an automatic transmission was part of the basic equipment of the Firedome, it was also officially offered with a manual three-speed transmission, but only a few copies were delivered with it.
1957–1959: Medium model
The series rose again in the model range when DeSoto offered the Dodge- based, smaller Firesweep in 1957 .
In 1958, the engine output of the optionally available 5,920 cm³ V8 rose to over 300 bhp (221 kW). This accelerated the car from 0 to 100 km / h in just under 8 seconds and allowed it to reach a top speed of 184 km / h. Nevertheless, in 1958 the sales figures fell to only 60% of the previous year's figures, partly for economic reasons, partly because of the amalgamation with the 1957 models (unsold remnants of which were still sold in 1958!).
To arouse the interest of customers, DeSoto offered the 1959 model of the Firedome in 26 body colors and 190 different two-tone finishes. But at the end of this model year, DeSoto still had to fight for every car sale. Although there were so many different models, buyers were reluctant to get a DeSoto amid rumors that Chrysler would discontinue the entire brand.
At the end of the 1959 model year, production of the Firedome ended in October of the same year.
Web links
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- John Gunnell (Ed.): The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 . Kraus Publications, 1987, ISBN 978-0-87341-096-0 .