1954 DeSoto?

Another DeSoto story found on the web is this little gem about a Canadian gentleman and his recollections of his first car which he says was a '54 DeSoto. I put a question mark in the subject line because when you read the article a couple of his recollections about the car suggest it may have been a '56 Adventurer:

* the wheel covers covered the whole wheel. The standard '54 wheel cover did not cover the full wheel.

* He remembers the car had "twin deck aerials". Although they were always available as aftermarket accessories, I've never seen a '54 DeSoto with rear mounted antennas.

Without photos, we'll likely never know. Interesting story nonetheless.

Link to story: http://www.thespec.com/living-story/522 ... rse-fixed/

The story here:
1954 DeSoto pushed backwards till reverse fixed

Hamilton Spectator
By Bill Sherk

Bob Stephens of Essex, Ont., owns a flashy 1964 Thunderbird convertible, a far cry from his first car which he says he will never forget: "The other guys in town were driving hot cars while I was driving something akin to a limo. My friend Bob Sanford always referred to my black 1954 DeSoto as 'The Mafia Car.'

"The PowerFlite tranny was a bit of a problem. If the car was not completely stopped when the tranny was shifted into reverse, the reverse band on the tranny would snap. There was more than one instance of my quick shift breaking the band. Thus no reverse and we just pushed it backwards until I could get it fixed. Fortunately, Hyatt Motors in Leamington was able to replace the reverse band in about an hour for $50.

"The car had a lot of chrome and the hubcaps covered the full wheel and had bronze centres depicting Mr. DeSoto (a Spanish explorer in America). The twin deck aerials were not common on large cars like this one and really looked sharp.

"When I was dating my girlfriend Judy Royce, who later became my wife, whenever I would pick her up at school, her girlfriends thought she was going out with an older man with a big DeSoto.

"My dad bought the car from Ray Whitesell who at that time was a Leamington cop. I bought it from Dad around 1959, when I was 19, drove it for about three years, and sold it for $300 to Winston Upcott. By that time, I was working at Radio Station CJSP engineering department in town and thought I needed a better car. The DeSoto lasted another year or so and was rusting badly. I think it went to an auto graveyard. Meanwhile, I had moved on to a 1960 Pontiac 4-door hardtop purchased from a Heinz exec, who had just been given a company car. Compared to the DeSoto, the '60 Pontiac hardtop was a much better looking car for a young guy. But I never really forgot about my DeSoto."

The first DeSoto rolled off the assembly line in 1928, thanks to Walter P. Chrysler. That was a busy year for Mr. Chrysler because he also bought the Dodge Company and added Plymouth to his lineup of vehicles. He was now competing with Ford and GM, and people began talking about the "Big Three." The DeSoto remained in production for 32 years. Competition from other makes squeezed it out of the market place in December 1960, with only a few 1961 DeSotos built.

I’m always looking for more stories. Email billtsherk@sympatico.ca or write Bill Sherk, 25 John St., P.O. Box 255, Leamington, Ont. N8H 3W2. Everyone whose story is published in this column will receive a free autographed copy of my book: “Old Car Detective Favourite Stories, 1925 to 1965.”