DeSoto Adventurer History

The DeSoto Adventurer debuted for 1956 as a limited-production, high-performance hardtop sub-series of the Fireflite — DeSoto's equivalent of the Chrysler 300 letter cars. The first cars came only in a white, black, and gold scheme, with a hot 341-cubic-inch Hemi V8, dual exhausts, and special trim; just 996 were built that first year.

For 1957 a convertible joined the coupe and the engine grew to 345 cubic inches making 345 bhp — one horsepower per cubic inch, with dual four-barrel carburetors — making it one of the era's most potent cars; 1,950 were built (including 300 convertibles). The Hemi was dropped after 1957 in favor of a 361-cubic-inch wedge V8, and the Adventurer lasted as DeSoto's flagship through 1960, its prestige fading with the brand.