1946 thru 1949-1 – National DeSoto Club, Inc.

1946 - First Series 1949

WWII came to an abrupt end and with that came a demand for new cars. With cars not having been replaced during the war and many young men coming back home, new cars were one of the hottest commodities post-war. However, the transition from producing wartime supplies back to automobiles was not a smooth one. Labor was uncertain and in flux and as a result of all the troubles and difficulties with getting tooling and production up and running again, the 1946 model year was a struggle across the industry. 1947 would see a much more stable, full year of production that better met the demands of the consumers.

Considering the circumstances coming out of the war, DeSoto was impressively new in styling, especially compared to many competitors. True, the main body styling was carry-over, but the front sheet-metal, headlights, grille, and front doors were all changed from the last 1942 models. Complimenting these changes were wrap-around bumpers, a tweak to the rear fenders, and new design on exterior ornamentation and interior styling. Also new since 1942 was dual wheel cylinder front "Safe-Stop" brakes, aluminum alloy engine pistons, larger Fluid Drive gears, and updated oil pump and oil filtration.

1946 through first-series (early) 1949 models are combined together here as the design was virtually unchanged over the 3-year span for the S-11 Deluxe and Custom series. To put it into perspective, the most notable change was the tire size of the short wheelbase cars, which went from 15 x 6.50 to 15 x 7.60, as well as the return of wide whitewalls (April 1947). Early models, before whitewalls reappeared, utilized a white ring around the hubcap to simulate the look of a whitewall. The 1947 and 1948 model years were started on January 1 of each of those years and were identified by serial number breaks. The S-11 would carry into the beginning of the 1949 model year, referred to as a "first-series", before being replaced in March 1949 with the new "second-series" S-13 models.

Engine: 237 c.i. 6 cylinder, 109 hp

Wheelbase: 121.5, 139.5 (7-passenger bodies)

1946 Deluxe VIN Start: 6154001

1946 Deluxe VIN End: 6172862

1946 Custom VIN Start: 5784001

1946 Custom VIN End: 5825784

1947 Deluxe VIN Start: 6172863

1947 Deluxe VIN End: 6190369

1947 Custom VIN Start: 5825785

1947 Custom VIN End: 5885815

1948 Deluxe VIN Start: 6190370

1948 Deluxe VIN End: 6205975