1960 DeSoto - Fireflite
4-Door Sedan

Model Year History Overview:

DeSoto was created by Chrysler in 1928 about the time it purchased Dodge and created Plymouth.  DeSoto offered nothing but six-cylinder engines from 1932 until the 276.1 cid hemi-head “Firedome” V-8 appeared in 1952.  It developed 160 hp at 4400 rpm and was based on the larger Chrysler hemi.  This put DeSoto firmly in the horsepower race.  DeSoto design evolution pretty much paralleled Chrysler’s.  DeSoto said its towering tailfins of 1957-61 “added stability at speed” but this was advertising propaganda.  DeSoto tailfins were lowered in 1960 after reaching their height in 1959. DeSoto was discontinued in 1961 after 33 years of production.  DeSoto’s most popular model was the FireFlite four door sedan.

This car was sold by a dealer in Seattle in 1961, just before the business was closed.  It was a showroom car, the only one with right and left outside mirrors, remote controlled.  The car was registered the first time in December 1961.  The owner died shortly afterwards, while the car had accumulated only 3,000 miles.  The widow never drove the car, and it sat inside her garage (for 30 years) until her death in 1991.  It was purchased in 1991 and shipped to Houston.  In 13 years it was driven only to car meets, where it always got “Best of Show”. The last time it was at the Orphan Cars Club meet in Grandbury, TX in February 2004, it again got “Best of Show”.  The car is in complete original condition: Paint, upholstery, engine, etc.

Always garaged, a few improvements were made: brake drums turned, brake cylinders honed, brake hoses replaced, and gas
tank cleaned, new four-ply whitewall tires installed, and new seat belts installed.  Original tires mounted on correct rims (spare tire is original never used), dealer tool set, sales brochures, factory window sticker, custom-made car cover, and shop manual came with the car.

Vehicle Mileage: 10,420 miles (Original)

Total 1960 DeSoto Car Production; 26,081
Total Fireflite 4-Door Sedan Production: 9,032
Original Base MSRP: 3,017.00
MSRP for this car: $ 3,943.00

1960 DeSoto - Fireflite
4-Door Sedan

VIN Number:   7103105978

Date of Manufacture:  N/A
Exterior Color:  Tomato Red w/White Roof
Interior Trim:  White & Silver Cloth & Vinyl
Engine:   361 CID DeSoto - Fireflight OHV V-8
2-Barrel Carburetor
295 Horsepower
Bore/Stroke: 4.13” X 3.38”
Transmission:  TorqueFlite Automatic (Push Button-Controlled)
Equipment:

• AM Radio w/Front & Rear Speakers
• Air Conditioner (Aftermarket)
• Heater & Forced Air Rear Defroster
• Windshield Washer
• Power Steering & Brakes
• Adjustable Torsion-Bar Front Suspension
• 12-Volt Electrical System w/Generator
• Right & Left Outside Mirrors w/Remote
• Rear Deck Antenna
• Seat Belts (After Market)
• Full Wheel Covers
• New 4-Ply Wide Whitewall Tires

Wheelbase:  122.0 inches
Length:  N/A
Weight:  3,865 LBS

Materials shown on this web site belonging to the Pack Automotive Museum are copyright protected and not re-printable without written permission from the Pack Auto Group. You may contact the Pack Auto Group @ P.O. Box 110098 Carrollton, Texas 75011-0098 Attention: Web site Coordinator. Credits for supporting information used on this web site are noted