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I have been fond of antique American cars for years. Unfortunately I had to sell my cars in the Netherlands when I moved to Thailand. Recently I bought a Desoto 1955 here. I am still trying to find out how original this car is. Maybe you can give me some information. I think it is a firedome. It does have a Toyota engine block. You rarely find a classic car with an original engine here in Thailand. It also does not have Desoto emblems.
That's a nice looking car, but it looks more like a 1955 Plymouth that's been customized with a DeSoto grille. Although I know that when Chrysler cars were sent or made in other countries they didn't look exactly like the American version. Good Luck with it!!
Jim
@jimmegee The car looks a lot like a phlymouth, but the register papers say Desoto. But I have the vehicle number of the car. Is there a register with all the frame numbers that Desoto built? That should tell us something about the origin of the car.
@annetaarts Good question.... I really don't know if anyone in this club has that kind of info. Let's hope someone else knows and reads your post. Maybe also join the facebook group? Seems more people are reading that now. There is a BLUE link for the FB group above this page.
Jim
@annetaarts I believe you have a DeSoto Diplomat and it looks to be mostly correct on the exterior except for the wheels. What I'm unclear on is if there was only a Diplomat-Custom available or also a Diplomat DeLuxe. I have included a page here from the Plymouth and DeSoto Story by Don Butler, a great DeSoto resource.
The "Firedome" nameplate was, to my knowledge, only used on the standard US-based bodies. Given your current proximity to Australia, it is unsurprising that it's a Diplomat since they were common there. The standard US Mopar Parts book lists the serial numbers for all of the US and Canadian built cars - if you can find an equivalent parts book for a 1955 DeSoto Diplomat (possibly easier to find in Australia than it would be here in the US?), that might list the serial number ranges available to confirm your exact model. Additionally, if your car has a data plate (commonly found on the firewall in US cars of that era, but could be in other under hood/bonnet or door jam locations), that might also have the specific model/body code that you could likewise match up to a parts book.
Club member @LeeExline is our resident expert on Diplomats and exports. He may be able to help further. If he doesn't chime in here, you can find his information in the upcoming January-February roster edition of the magazine.
I hope this helps!
@davidfrank Thanks for this information. Now I know how to search further. Also about the looks. The export DeSoto was based on the Plymouth body.
Welcome fellow Diplomat owner. Mine is an Australian manufactured 1956 (yes looks like a 1954 but made in 56) yours was probably made on the Lynch Road plant in Detroit? There should be a tag on the firewall? Your model number is either SP26 or SP27. The grill is export specific and there should be nameplates on the dash, rear quarters and hood. It could have been powered by a flathead six or a V8. The serial number sequence will also help determine where it was built.
Built in Detroit SP26 originally had a six cylinder. You ownership paperwork should reflect this
Thanks, then I really have an American as a car, and not an Aussie 🤣
