End of an Era 1961 DeSoto Sedan A Car Without a Market DeSotos origins are murky. Most auto experts believe that its debut in 1929 was simply an effort by Walter Chrysler to put pressure to sell on the banks that controlled Dodge. It worked in two ways. Firstly, Chrysler bought Dodge at the price he wanted. Secondly, DeSoto had the biggest first year of a marquee until 1959, with over 81,000 produced. Unfortunately less than 5 years later, Chrysler made two moves that crippled the brand. They changed its pricing from below Dodge to above its in house rival. And worse, this move then tied it to Chryslers biggest failure of the decade, the Airflow design. Bad for Chrysler, this revolutionary look crippled DeSotos sales. The Last Gasp Of the 2 million DeSotos made in its 32 year history, over half were after WWII. The last great year was 1955 when Virgil Exners “Forward Look” increased sales by 85%. By 1960, however, the hand-writing was on the wall as compact cars were the popular trend. The 1961 DeSoto, of which only 3034 were made, was basically a Chrysler Windsor made at a Chrysler plant. It still had the powerful 265hp. V-8 under the hood and big tail fins, but the front grille looked patched together. Our 1:18 scale precision die cast replica is a perfect rendition of the last of the DeSotos, just as they looked rolling off Chryslers production line for the last time. Features • Opening Hood • Opening Doors • Working Steering System • Powerful 361 Cubic Inch V-8 is Wired and Plumbed • Interior Features Dashboard Mounted Rear View Mirror and Folding Front Seats • Precision Die-Cast Replica • 11.5 Inches Long • 1:18 Scale