1958 DeSoto Shopper Hidden For Years Is A Rare Car You May Never Know Existed

Walter P. Chrysler formed the Chrysler Corporation from the remnants of the Maxwell Motor Company in 1925. Three years later, Chrysler purchased Fargo Trucks and Dodge and established two new automobile companies. These were Plymouth and DeSoto.

Although Plymouth needs no further introduction, DeSoto is one of those orphan brands that few people remember. With Plymouth targeting the affordable car market, the DeSoto was introduced to compete with Pontiac, Studebaker, Hudson, and Willys in the mid-price segment.

Named after Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, this division sold lower priced versions of Chrysler cars. Placed under Dodge in its early years, DeSoto moved up in the corporate hierarchy in 1933, gaining access to streamlined Airflow bodies.

DeSoto was somewhat successful in its early decades, but a few company mistakes turned it into a slow-selling market in the 1950s. entry level led the organization to shut down the brand in 1961.

But while not as popular as Plymouth, Chrysler’s other orphan brand, DeSoto left a few great cars behind. In addition to being the only division to offer Airflow models apart from Chrysler, it was still on the market when Virgil Exner launched his “Forward Look” model. Like their Chrysler and Dodge counterparts, the DeSotos of the mid-to-late 1950s are among the best cars ever made in my book.

The company had no less than five cars in the showrooms at that time. The list includes Fireflite and Adventurer, as well as the somewhat obscure Firedome, Pacesetter and Firesweep. The latter was short-lived compared to its modern brethren. While the other four names were sold for four to seven years, the Firesweep was around for only three model years.

A premium full-size sedan based on the Dodge Coronet, the Firesweep debuted in 1957 in four body styles: a two-door hardtop, a four-door hardtop and sedan, and a station wagon. In 1958, DeSoto added a two-door convertible to the lineup.

Firesweep was very successful in its first year on the market. With 41,269 units delivered, it outsold the Fireflite and Firedome to become DeSoto’s best-selling plate. It also retained its top spot in 1958, but sales fell sharply to just 19,414 examples. The following year, Firesweep moved 20,834 vehicles before being consigned to the history books. The DeSoto would be discontinued completely two years later.

Although short-lived, Firesweep is not exactly rare. However, certain body styles are very difficult to find, especially since many DeSotos were abandoned in junkyards and warehouses. With only 1,296 examples built over two model years, the convertible is arguably the rarest. The top segment is followed by the station wagon, which moved 8,131 units in three years. That is only 10% of the total production.

But this figure becomes even smaller if we divide it into model years and by passenger capacity. You see, DeSoto released two wagons each year: the six-passenger Shopper and the nine-passenger Explorer. The greengrocer you see here is one of 1,305 Shoppers built in 1958.

Of course, this figure is still high to consider this car very common, but there are two things to consider. First, only a few of these grocers are believed to still exist. Second, this is almost a complete survivor.

And I say “almost” because the previous owner played with the suspension and replaced the original engine. But the first mod is reversible, and the number matching unit is still on the car, although it needs a complete rebuild. Plus with the reupholstered fabric on the seats, this 1958 Shopper is completely original.

The wagon still has its factory paint job, which is a lovely Spruce Green with a Willow Green top and side vents. There is a lot of patina to speak of, but the original color still covers most of the body. The white and silver interior is still there, while the headliner has taken decades of storage like a champion.

Fortunately, this little-known grocery shopper is now in good hands. Although the Shopper runs and drives the car, the new owner wants to restore it to its original specifications. He may not choose to modify the factory-correct 350-inch (5.7-liter) V8 engine, but seeing this car back on the road is as exciting as it gets if you’re a DeSoto fan.