by Mike Gulett –
This one-off DeSoto concept car built by Ghia with original Hemi power is certainly one of the coolest concept cars ever.
The DeSoto Adventurer II Coupe was originally made in 1954, and is built on a Chrysler Imperial chassis with a body designed and built by Ghia. Note the sliding rear window, which tucks into the trunk to create an open air driving experience.
From the rear we can see the airplane influence that was prevalent in the 1950s.
The interior shows its Italian heritage with simple yet elegant styling and perfect materials like leather, engined turned aluminum dashboard and a wood rim steering wheel.
This design evolved from the Savonuzzi Supersonic Series and was reworked by Virgil Exner. It is very long, elegant and to my eyes spectacular looking.
Including all fees, this concept sold for $1,430,000 at the 2012 Barrett-Jackson auction.
DeSoto
DeSoto was a division of Chrysler from 1928 to the 1961 model year intended initially to compete in the mid-price range. This beautiful concept design was not enough to save the storied DeSoto brand from the scrap heap.
The 1958 recession seriously affected demand for mid-priced automobile makes. DeSoto sales were particularly affected, and sales failed to recover in 1959 and 1960. With falling sales, the 1959 and 1960 models were very similar to the concurrent Chryslers. Moreover, rumors that DeSoto would soon be discontinued did not help sales.
From Wikipedia
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
Photos compliments of Barrett-Jackson.
It looks like Ford took this concept and ran with it to create the 1961-1963 Thunderbird