DeSoto Fireflite

Manufacturer	DeSoto (Chrysler)
Model years	1955 to 1960
Class	Motor Car
Assembly	USA
Body style	2-door coupe 4-door sedan 4-door hardtop 2-door convertible 4-door station wagon
Layout	FR layout
Engine	325 cu in (5.3 L) V8 330 cu in (5.4 L) V8 341 cu in (5.6 L) V8
Wheelbase	126 in (3,200 mm)
Length	217.9 in (5,535 mm) (1955) 220.9 in (5,611 mm) (1956) 218 in (5,537 mm) (1957) 222.1 in (5,641 mm)(1959)
Width	77 in (1,956 mm) (1955) 78.2 in (1,986 mm) (1957)

The DeSoto Fireflite was offered in several model generations vehicle belonging to the Chrysler Group automotive brand DeSoto . In 1955 and 1956, the Fireflite was the top model of the brand, before he gave this rank from 1957 to the Adventurer .

History 

The first, introduced in 1955 Fireflite generation was positioned above the Firedome . Both vehicles, like the Chrysler models Windsor and New Yorker had a 3200 mm long wheelbase. Thus, they were located in the hierarchy of the Chrysler Group below the (newly founded) brand Imperial (3,302 mm), but ranked above the vehicles of Dodge (3,040 mm) and Plymouth (2,924 mm).

The new top-of-the-line series was the more decorated Fireflite, distinguished by the large chrome moldings from the headlamp rims along the tops of its fenders. 
There were only three Fireflite models: Sportsman hardtop, four-door sedan, and convertible. Fireflites Color schemes were bright Paper Mate pen combinations could be bought in monotone with bright metal side molding also in two-tone color-sweep, which carried the contrasting roof color along the body sides and down around the rear wheel wells.DeSoto introduced a "Spring special" Fireflite four door, the "Coronado". This model first pioneered the three-tone paint job. Coronados all had a  black roof, turquoise body, and white sweepspear, with a matching interior. 

The Fireflite was available as a convertible, two-door coupe and a four-door sedan. All versions used the same wheelbase. The body design of Fireflite was a modification of the of Virgil Exner designed Hundred one million US dollars look and oriented in the profile largely to the size identical Chrysler models. However, this wore Fireflite a striking side decoration with contrasting color inserts and wide chrome bezels. The in the trim level Coronado, the Fireflite even had a three-color paint (turquoise, black, white). Overall, the Fireflite of the year 1955 is described as the "most glittering" model of the Chrysler Group. 

Fireflite horsepower was up 30 from 1954, with larger displacement, valves, cam modifications, and a four-barrel carburetor. The Fireflite was made in 1955 by a 4.9-liter eight-cylinder V8 engine with an output of 200 bhp. As a power transmission served PowerFlite - automatic . Nineteen fifty-five was also the year when Powerflite's gear selector moved to the dashboard. The automatic had a "flite control" lever on the dashboard Chrysler made it of SAE 1010 steel, which bends easily. It was also angled slightly, so it would bend properly. Nobody was much convinced by these measures, but Chrysler had something much more intriguing in the works for 1956 the  pushbutton. Depending on the body shape, the car weighed between 1,850 kg and 2,100 kg. 

1956 

Two new Fireflites this year were a four-door hardtop Sportsman, sold in small quantities, and the Pacesetter replica of the 1956 Indy 500 pace car, of which 
only 100 were built. 

For the model year 1956, the body of the previous year's model was basically maintained, however, found at the end of the rear fenders small tail fins, the three mutually mounted round lights roofed. In addition, the radiator grille changed for 1956. The 1956 Fireflite facelift involving a mesh grille which replaced the long dentures. The first of tailfins also appeared,grafted onto the rear fenders at the rear for a trio of taillight lenses. The new rear bumper ends also contained dummy exhaust ports, with the exhaust still underneath in normal fashion. The instrument panel now sported gold-on-white lettering . 

Technically, the Fireflite received in 1956 as the models of the Chrysler brand a new engine. As standard, he was now with a 255 bhp strong, 5.6-liter eight-cylinder engine. The exclusive equipment variant, the Fireflite Adventurer , had a contrast 5.8 liters large engine, which made bhp 320th With it, the Fireflite accelerated in 11 s from 0 to 100 km / h and reached a top speed of 175 km / h.

In 1956, a gold and white Fireflite cabriolet was the official pace car of the Indianapolis 500 race . De Soto produced about 100 replicas of the pace car.

1957 to 1960:

Straight flanks, tapered tail fins and two-tone paint: baseline of the Forward Look, which remained unchanged until 1959 (here a coupe from 1957)

For the model year 1957, the design of all Chrysler models changed fundamentally. Virgil Exner had developed a smooth-surfaced, large-tail-finned design called Forward Look , which used all the Chrysler brands with different detail variations. Groupwide there were again four different wheelbases. As in the previous year, the Chrysler models and the De Soto Fireflite used the second largest (3,200 mm), while Dodge (3,098 mm) and Plymouth (2,990 mm) each used shorter versions.

DeSoto's version of the Forward Look was, as in previous years, characterized by a striking two-tone paint and chrome bordered applications on the sides of the car, whose shape changed over the years. The rectilinear rising and pointed tail fins flowed into a lighting unit in which three vertically arranged round lights were combined. The exhaust system ended in two openings, which was integrated into the rear bumpers. The advertisement suggested that the shape of the tail fins give the car aerodynamic stability at high speeds;  they did not affect the driving behavior of the car . The front end design changed within the production span of Forward look multiple times.

The Fireflite was available from 1957 to 1959 in four body styles: coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon. The four-door sedan was by far the most successful body shape; the rarest version is the convertible of the model year 1959, which was produced in only 186 copies. The combination models are rare.

1957

The '57 DeSoto  Body styles continued as before with Sportsman hardtop coupes and sedans, a convertible, and a four-door sedan, but for the first time Fireflite wagons were added: the six-passenger Shopper, and the three-seat, nine-passenger Explorer. three-model line of fully restyled, rakishly tailfinned on the traditional 126-inch wheelbase, with the new Firesweep had been designed to bring DeSoto prices back down under $3000, and the four-door sedan started at only $2777. 
Firesweeps were lighter than other DeSotos, and also had a smaller engine a 341-cubic-inch engine developing 290 horsepower, shifting through new improved TorqueFlite automatic. Body styles continued as before with Sportsman hardtop coupes and sedans, a convertible, and a four-door sedan, but for the first time Fireflite wagons were added: the six-passenger Shopper, and the three-seat, nine-passenger Explorer.

From 1957 the Fireflite was only the second most expensive model of the brand. The Adventurer, so far an equipment variant of the Fireflite, took over the role of the top model. The Fireflite was equipped with a 5.8-liter eight-cylinder engine, which made 290 hp.

The front of the Fireflite was horizontally designed. The grille was integrated into the front bumper and extended over the entire width of the wagon. Above the bumper was the rounded bonnet. As lighting units, the designers had always provided dual headlights; however, they were not yet approved in all American states , so that alternatively, round individual headlights could be installed.

In 1957, the most successful year for Fireflite was the Forward Look era. A total of 28,430 vehicles were created, more than twice as much as in any other model year.

1958

For the model year 1958, the body of the Fireflite was only slightly revised; only the design of the radiator grille changed in detail. However, the vehicle received a new engine: The model now used a 5.9-liter eight-cylinder wedge head row, which gave 305 bhp. The Fireflite model year 1958 was not successful. Compared to the previous year models with almost identical design, the production figures of Fireflite fell by more than 50 percent. One reason for this was the decreasing production quality.

1959 

For the 1959 model year, the Chrysler designers redesigned the front end of the DeSoto models. It was designed more rugged and now resembled the Imperial models of the same vintage with the protruding twin headlights and heavy chrome bumpers. Again there was a bigger engine. The eight-cylinder engine now had a displacement of 6.3 liters; however, the maximum power remained at 305 hp. The sales of the Fireflite fell again. In 1959, only 9,127 Fireflites were sold in all four body versions.

1960

For the model year 1960, the positioning of the Fireflite changed. DeSoto reduced its model range from four to two rows: the models Firesweep and Firedome , which had recently taken a market position below the Fireflite, were discontinued; Thus, the Fireflite became the base model of the brand DeSoto, while the Adventurer remained the top model.

In 1960, DeSoto presented a new design. Although the roof structure remained essentially unchanged, but the cars received a highly rugged profile with opposing vaults. The tail fins now already started in the driver's door area and followed a continuously rising line until the end of the car. The front end carried a tall, barred grille, and the front bumper dropped in the middle of the car.

The wheelbase of the Fireflite has been reduced to 3,098 mm. The Fireflite thus corresponded in terms of its dimensions to the previous Firesweep.

The engine has been changed again. The previous eight-cylinder engine with 6.3 liters of displacement was now reserved for the adventurer; the Fireflite received instead the 5.9 liter large version, which had already been offered in 1958. In 1960, the engine made 295 bhp.The Fireflite was offered in 1960 only as a coupe and a sedan. The cabriolet and wagon versions have been discontinued.In 1960, the sales of the Fireflite could be increased again. Of both body versions, 14,484 vehicles were sold.

1960 was the last year of the Fireflite. For the model year 1961 DeSoto omitted all model designations; the cars were called only DeSoto. They were largely identical to the Chrysler Windsor.