For the Business Man To Drive

In 1928 the four year old Chrysler Corporation had skyrocketed to the third largest automobile manufacturer in the United States. Founder and president Walter P. Chrysler saw opportunity for more growth. First he bought up the Dodge brother's company. Then he launched two new marques to compete head to head with its direct competition. First came Plymouth which was designed to enter the ring against Ford and Chevy. Then came the line that was supposed to measure up against such mid-priced lines as Studebaker and Willys-Kinght. This was the DeSoto.

Of the two new marques, DeSoto had a difficult time finding a true identity. It turned out good quality cars as evidenced by the record number of sales for a first year model set in 1929 of 81,065 cars, a record that would stand until broken by the Ford Falcon in 1960.

DeSoto was plagued early on by external factors. Just as it was getting a place in the public's eye came the Great Depression followed by World War II. DeSoto turned out some fine cars through the 1930s and the early 1940s but the economy prohibited many people from buying.

One of those cars from this period is the model seen here, a 1937 Business Coupe. This was a car that was specifically designed for the business and sales men of the day. It featured such rarities as a fold down front seat and shelving where a rear seat would be where a salesman could carry his samples and literature. This lack of a rear seat also allowed for an extra long, spacious trunk.

In an era when the popular Ford flathead V8 was rated at 65 horse power, DeSoto's six was pushing 93. Add in the features mentioned above and this car was discovered by more than one bootlegger.

The late 1950s saw a substantial drop in sales for DeSoto and the 1958 economic downturn hurt even more. By the time the 1961 cars were introduced rumors were flying that Chrysler was going to close the line. On November 30, 1960, just 37 days after the 61 models were introduced, Chrysler announced that the DeSoto marque was being retired.