One of the things I learned during quarantine a couple of years ago was that cooler weather does not necessarily have to put an end to the long walks on weekends that I enjoy so much. If I’m dressed properly for it and keep a decent pace, taking a walk in cooler or cold weather can feel no less comfortable than when it’s really hot outside during the peak of summer. When I spotted our featured DeSoto at the beginning of this month, it was during that sweet spot in autumn when cracking the windows open about an inch allows cool, fresh air into one’s living space and still allows for a comfortable temperature inside. Maybe it was in the back of my mind that I had hoped to see at least a few seasonal decorations while walking around the Rogers Park neighborhood that Sunday.
Macy’s on State Street (formerly Marshall Field’s). Thursday, November 10, 2022.
Some friends and acquaintances on social media had been jokingly chiding others who put up their Christmas or holiday decorations before a certain time. I used to be one of those people who wouldn’t consider putting up Christmas until after Thanksgiving. What I’ve found in more recent years, however, is that my former hard-and-fast rules for putting up and taking down my decorations tended to make my Post-Christmas Blues that much more acute. I’d then sometimes leave my tree up well into January, which probably garnered about the same amount of side-eye. For the past few years and instead of going that route, I’ve been allowing myself a little extra time with my holiday decorations before Thanksgiving so I can enjoy them longer and be more ready to put them back away once the new year rolls over.
With my grandma.
Christmas always reminds me of my beloved grandmother, who decorated with such flair and creativity, along with baking such a fun and super-delicious array of cookies from scratch. Any DeSoto will also probably always remind me of her for no other reason than she was my first introduction to that make when I was a young kid expressing an interest in cars. She pronounced the make the way she pronounced “Missouri” or “Naomi”, ending with an “-uh” vowel sound at the end. She would speak fondly of the “De-SO-tah” she and Grandpa had owned, how it had been such a pretty color green, and how she loved its interior. She didn’t always pronounce “DeSoto” that way, but maybe her alternate pronunciation was just her way of adding emphasis in her colorful, animated way of speaking.
I didn’t inherit any pictures of Grandma’s and Grandpa’s DeSoto and would have no idea if theirs was a 1950, but that would have been entirely plausible, as they would have been young-ish parents around the time this car was new. The Deluxe model, of which our beige beauty is a fine example, was the lower of the two tiers of DeSoto for 1950, with the Custom being the premier model. The ’50 DeSoto was available in a range of body styles, among them being two- and four-door sedans, a wagon, an extended eight-passenger sedan (which rode on a 139.5-inch wheelbase that was fourteen inches longer than on the standard models), and a convertible.
Power came from a 112-horsepower six-cylinder engine displacing 236.6 cubic inches. Total DeSoto production for 1950 was just around 136,000 units, which was good for twelfth place in the industry, sandwiched between Nash and Hudson (the latter two of which would famously merge in 1954 to become American Motors Corporation). The four-door like the car pictured above was the most popular Deluxe model, with about 18,500 units sold out of about 33,300 Deluxes, or roughly 55%. Nineteen-fifty was a good year for the division, with sales up 43% over prior year 1949, when all of Chrysler’s makes featured new designs. DeSoto sales would drop in ’51 by over 30,000 units and 22%.
There’s a certain nostalgia built right into the winter holidays, which I love. For many of us, regardless of walk of life, family background or status, etc., the holidays don’t necessarily have to be about maintaining traditions passed down from one’s parents, but rather can also be about creating one’s own, new traditions and celebrating them from year to year. It can be a synthesis of the best of what we remember and who, what, and where we are today. I had once told myself that I would never be one of those people who would decorate for Christmas like Rudolph himself had barfed all over the living room. Maybe it was being in a more celebratory state of mind, but this year I spent more of my weekend allowance money on some great, new decorations, some of which remind me of what it felt like to be at my grandparents’ farm for Christmas and the magic and joy of celebrating with them there among extended family.
It’s wonderful to be nearing the end of the year with everything looking, sounding, smelling, and tasting so amazing (thank you, Aldi, for selling Pfeffernusse cookies, one of my favorites of Grandma’s cookie recipes), also in conjunction with having spotted a nice example of a long-defunct division of the former Chrysler Corporation. Grandpa used to talk about his old Chevrolet with fondness as the first (used) car he had ever owned. Of all the cars I remember my grandma talking about, however, the DeSoto always seems to come right to the forefront. I loved her so much. The holidays can be tricky to navigate for some of us and for various reasons, but my hope for those for whom that is the case is that you may find ways to celebrate those good people and things that have brought you true joy. A new year and another clean slate are right around the corner.
Rogers Park, Chicago, Illinois.
Sunday, November 6, 2022.
Brochure photos as sourced from www.oldcarbrochures.org.
Thank you Joseph for a great read that I think really does start out my holiday season. I also think that I’m going to be hearing your recollection of your Grandmother’s pronunciation of “De-SO-tah” in my mind for quite some time. 🙂
Thanks, Jeff. When I was writing this, and especially remembering my grandma’s occasional pronunciation of DeSoto, it’s like I could almost hear her voice in my mind’s ears.
My, oh, my but you hit some gold here today. Our grandma’s didn’t live all that far apart – mine was in Paulding County, Ohio, and she also had a DeSoto which she pronounced De-SO-tah. My grandma’s was a pink and white 55 Firedome sedan, close to this picture I found online (without the funky side pipes and Olds wheel covers.) I got many hours riding in it (either in motion or imaginary driving while it was parked) as a young kid, up until it was traded for a used 64 Pontiac when I was around 8. I loved that car! And there is nothing like spending time around a first-class grandma around the holidays.
And I love this car too. These lack the flair of the later cars and also lack some of the classic 40s vibe of the version these replaced, but there is a certain something about these so that I would not kick one out of the driveway if it showed up. Kudos for this person giving the old girl some exercise in late fall.
It’s such a small world. While I’ve never been to Paulding, I have been to nearby Van Wert on a few occasions. And thanks for the “De-SO-tah” backup, just in case any other readers might have been wondering if that was actually a thing. You provided the receipts.
As far as the ’55 DeSoto Firedome, I think it’s just right, combining the tasteful restraint of the earlier cars with the adventurous pizzazz of what followed.
“And there is nothing like spending time around a first-class grandma around the holidays.” Agree 100%.
Is there an old car that’s more unpretentious and no-nonsense than an early ’50s Chrysler product? If this DeSoto were a person, it would be the kind of person you would trust to watch your house, do your taxes, etc. It’s pretty hard not to like a ’50 DeSoto.
Here’s to all the grandmas in the world who make/made the holidays a little more fun. 🙂
Hear, hear! And I really like the analogy of this ’50 DeSoto being compared to an accountant. Especially in beige. It looks like a nice, solidly upper-middle-class offering with no pretense, possessing the ability to get the job done well and with a little extra class.
Joseph, Your grandparents De-SO-tah probably had the “Tip-Toe Hydraulic Shift and gyrol Fluid Drive” that is proudly described as “Famous” in the ad included in your post. So, that is the formal name for what I just used to call “Fluid Drive”.
It is a blessing for anyone to have so many strong memories of love during the holidays that you so accurately describe as a time that “… can be tricky to navigate for some of us and for various reasons… “.
Thank you for writing about the “holiday decorations” conflict; for some reason(s) I do not do the decorating thing at my home, but do join in and help Debbie put up hers. I’m not sure why this is, but something about your description of taking the decorations down makes “… Post-Christmas Blues that much more acute …” rings true to me.
As for Pfeffernusse cookies… anything coated in powdered sugar is good good good.
I love all of the hyperbole, coined names, and terminology that were used to identify so many things from that era, especially in company-sourced literature and print advertisements.
And it’s all of those positive memories that have been part of my celebration of the holidays throughout the year as my life and priorities have continued to evolve. 🙂
Your Grandma had a good eye for style; I’ve always thought the DeSotos, with that wide Wurlitzer-jukebox grille, were the best looking of the K.T. Keller era upright Mopars.
And Keller must be smiling from on high, as Mopar has demonstrated that everything old is new again. The 2005-current Chrysler 300 uses a lot of the same design language — high beltline, high hood, a well defined three-box design.
I especially liked the ’50 models compared to what had come before and after, while doing just a little bit of research for the factual bits of this essay. And thanks for pointing out the similarities between this DeSoto and the design language of the current 300. I see it now – an accurate and astute observation.
Nice pic of you and grammaw .
My Sweet has been pulling out all the stops this year for Christmas decorations, she’s decided to follow my lead and let our foster boys set it all up .
I too love old Desotos’s, would this have been a coupe .
-Nate
Thanks, Nate. I’m so thankful to both be in possession of some old, family photos and also a good scanner. 🙂 And 2022 seems like a good year to pull out all the stops. IIRC, Omicron was a thing at this time last year, which might have put the damper on some of the holiday fun for some people.
“The holidays can be tricky to navigate for some of us and for various reasons”
Truer words have never been spoken. When Daughter was born we triumphantly announced we were not going to leave the house on Christmas and disrupt Daughter’s day; we figured the grandparents knew where we lived. That has worked well for years.
The other holidays are were the problems erupt. Wife and I have decided to treat the other holidays like Christmas and stay put. It beats navigation with alcohol, which I have done a time or ten. Not recommended.
As for the Christmas tree, we’ve put it up as late as December 24 and taken it down as late as, well, I’m not going to ‘fess up other than it is well after January 1.
Joe, your ongoing ability to squeeze so many things into 1,000 words is amazing.
If I ever dip my toe back into the waters of old, non-daily driver car a Chrysler product of this vintage has a lot of appeal for many reasons.
Jason, thank you so much for this. It’s great for the Shafer family, and for every nuclear family unit, to establish what works best! I have always been fascinated by Chrysler products from a certain era, and after looking at pictures of some of the earlier, postwar Mopars (i.e. before the Forward Look), I have come to appreciate many of their attributes.
Loved this piece. Joseph, your grandmother was quite a lady.
Thank you. My grandma was truly special and one of my favorite human beings.
Great article and memories. Brings to mind my maternal Grandmother’s 56 Plymouth Belvedere. It was Blue and white. She loved that car, called it her “machine”. Seldom drove my Grandfathers 60s Lincolns. She loved the commanding view of her Plymouth. (would have loved today’s CUVs.) Kept that car until she could no longer drive. it would have been close to 25 years old. A true little old lady find. Why you ask, did I not snap it up? I ask myself that. But at the time, early 80s I was involved with restoring an old Edwardian home and deep into my architectural career. An old car was not on my plate. so it was sold to I know not who. You snooze, you lose.
Thanks, Jason. I’m trying hard to think about the context of seeing a ’56 Plymouth Belvedere as a driver in and around the early ’80s, not even taking Chrysler’s woes at the time into consideration. I really like that she loved that Plymouth that much. I like the ’56s probably as much as I like the Forward Look ’57s from an aesthetic standpoint, especially after learning of the durability and assembly woes of the newer design.
Had four DeSotos over the years. They were all great cars but the ’57 was the one I should have kept.
’57 Fireflite (I think – the side trim looks different); love the front end, love the triple lights on the fins, love the two exhausts exiting the bumper just under the fins, love the way the 5 button Torqueflite jumps off the line.
Much nicer design than Mopar’s top stablemate, Chrysler.
Truly stunning lines on that convertible.
Good looking car!
Thanks for this very evocative piece. I too rush to take down the decor, usually on Jan 1. Something about a fresh start and maybe even encouraging Spring to come soon, a fruitless exercise in the NE, but one can always hope.
The ad shown has almost a pre-war feel, there’s none of the glitz and glamour that started in 1955. These solid-citizen Mopars were a very large part of what made Chrysler’s great engineering reputation, one they sadly squandered by the shoddy construction of the later 1950s models. Quality materials, useful instrumentation, sensible design, all were found in my own Grandma’s maroon 1950 Dodge, a car that I’ll always fondly associate with her and my own happy childhood.
Thanks for the memories.
Thanks so much. “Solid citizen” seems to echo a comment above about the feel of this ’50 DeSoto, and I like that description. It’s such a shame about the slide in quality following the ’57 redesign, which was an stylistic knockout.
In the 1960s Lou Rawls had a song that included a monologue about winter in Chicago: “The wind comes down the sidewalk like a giant razor blade, and all the clothes in the world can’t help you.”
Sounds right to me. And I love Lou Rawls.
My best friend’s grandfather had been a lineman for our local power company before the transfer to ConEdison. He bought a new second series 1949 DeSoto Custom at about the time he retired. His son and his wife got a new Plymouth and he also bought the house several doors away. Got rides in this car fairly often when I was a little kid from a strong man who always dressed and acted like a gentleman. Big and comfortable, well put together. Not so stylish as my father’s second hand 1947 Oldsmobile model 66 Club Coupe or as impressive as the 25th series Packard Touring Sedan that my dad bought used later though.
I like that your friend’s grandfather had a ’49 DeSoto that, based on your description of both gentleman and car, seemed to fit his image really well.
Yes, the DeSoto fit Arthur’s personality quite well. He kept it in to the mid 1960’s, well past the time DeSoto ceased production. I had a photo of him that my dad took with him wearing a fake sheriff’s badge. Showed my kid brother and myself with fishing polls with small fish hanging behind our backs. A sign said, “NO FISHING.” Arthur really looked the part, dressed in an old fashioned style suit of the type that he usually wore. Got published as a gag in our local paper. He was an Elk as well, and I remember him with his Elk’s umbrella in all their parades. Remember seeing many of this era Chrysler products as survivors into the ’60’s and ’70’s, they had a good reputation. Had a ’51 Dodge Wayfarer myself.
I’ve always had a thing for these. So solid and upright.
The traditional time for Christmas trees and such was of course starting on Christmas Eve and extending through the 12 days of Christmas, ending on Jan.6th, the feast of the Three Kings. That’s how everyone did it in Austria back in the day.
And Stephanie and I did it too, which made buying Xmas trees easy and cheap. The stands selling them were desperate to get rid of their remaining inventory on the 24th.
Seeing lit Xmas trees in houses and decorations in other places was challenging enough when it started right after Thanksgiving, but seeing it in mid-November is a bit much. But I don’t care anymore. Put them up in October!
What I truly dislike greatly is having to listen to Xmas music in stores. I feel so sorry for the employees.
I agree – it’s your house so put them up when you want to.
Personally, later is better – a long anticipation period is never a great thing. A few years back we got a tree for free from a supermarket at 7 pm on 23 Dec. Give it away or shred for compost etc. Great evening putting it up.
But music in shops – I just try to tune it out, go at the quiet hour or order online. As Paul says, the staff must feel completely overdosed on it all by now.
Nice post though – great tone and context on what might be considered a run of the mill car, though not in that condition 70 years later. Nice find, nice piece, Joe.
The difference between a European upbringing and an American one: What is considered Christmas.
Here it’s the day after Thanksgiving (if you can get it to hold off that long) thru Christmas Day, followed by a mad party a week later. Christmas lights come down sometime between 26 December and 2 January. Of course, it’s because American Christmas is really a retail holiday, with enough lip service given to the religious side to pretend that it’s not just about the shopping.
Twelve Days of Christmas? Isn’t that some Dickensian song? Feast of Three Kings? Yeah, I’ve seen it mentioned in some church calendars, but it wasn’t something to celebrate when I was a kid, much less now. In our family, that Twelfth Day of Christmas is actually Christmas Again. Russian Christmas, of course. For someone raised Byzantine Catholic (for those saying “huh?”, try Russian Orthodox, under Rome not Constantinople, and using the Gregorian Calendar). In our house, and my sister’s, the tree stays up for Russian Christmas, too, although the outdoor lights have most likely come down the weekend preceding. I enjoy putting the lights up. I hate taking them down.
As long as I don’t have to look at Christmas decorations before Halloween, I’m happy.
Christmas music in stores is tolerable if suboptimal, but “The Little Drummer Boy” just sets my teeth on edge. The later in the season I first hear it, the better. I like “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” but they never play that in stores. “Run Run Rudolph” by Chuck Berry is OK.
I like the Christmas music, but to your point, I don’t know how I’d feel about it if I worked in retail or the service industry where I’d be hearing it for about five weeks. I used to work with the radio playing, and when the December holidays would commence, I would tune into whatever station was playing the holiday tunes. It was always jarring the day after the New Year (sometimes before) where the music would shift instantaneously back to the “regularly scheduled programming”.
A lovely car and a(nother) well-written collection of thoughts.
Wow, this car still has its Auto-Lite bullseye sealed beam headlamps. Now that’s originality!
Thanks, Daniel. And now I have to go back and look at the pictures to examine this car’s headlights more closely. I love an eye for detail, and as a result, I’ve learned so much from participants in and on this site.
No decorations here yet, but I’ll probably get asked to bring them in from the shed next weekend. Great, we’re having our four year old granddaughter for the weekend; she can help us decorate the tree!
I recall seeing these De Sotos around as a kid, but they never seemed to be light colours. And being Australia, what we got were probably PlySotos.
And as for Pfeffernusse, thank God for Great-grandma Pausacker’s recipe book. All hand-written, complete with who she got the recipe from. My daughter will be busy…
What a treasure for you to have, and to be able to pass down, your great-grandmother’s recipes. Long may those family traditions continue.
Can anyone explain why almost all 4 door cars in the 1950s era had a small exposed panel between the front and rear side doors? It is fairly thick on this DeSoto, but they tended to get thinner as the decade progressed and mostly disappeared by the early 60s. It certainly is not attractive to have the extra seam in the side, and I expect it required more work in the body finishing and paint booth since it was exposed versus hiding it behind the front and rear door seam on modern vehicles so I can’t imagine it served any money saving purpose.
Wow… I suppose I hadn’t paid that close of attention to it, but that panel you speak of is unmissable. I’ll be curious to see if anyone weighs in.
Nice piece, Joseph, as usual.
Regarding the DeSoto, having been born in 1960, and not really car aware until ‘65, the only DeSoto I could easily recognize as a kid was the 1957.
As to Christmas decorations, I always preferred the weekend on or about Dec 1 for going up; on or about January 6 for taking them down.
My wife and I disagree on this. In her mind it’s to be Thanksgiving weekend, usually Black Friday when they go up (we don’t really go shopping – that’s what Cyber Monday is for 😉), and New Years Day (or that weekend) when they come down.
This year, I won the argument, but not because we argued, it was more about lack of time. They will go up this weekend for sure. As to when they come down? She’ll probably win this year, as Jan 1 is a Sunday, and the next weekend day we’ll get is Saturday Jan 7, which to quote Bob Uecker, is “JUST a bit outside”. We have off Monday Jan 2, so that’s probably going to be the day to take them down.
We really aren’t THAT far off from each other, I just have a mental block about Christmas starting in a month not named December.
Don’t EVEN get me started on Retail’s assertion that Christmas begins the day after Halloween. Heck, some stores start BEFORE Oct 31. That’s just wrong on so many levels.
My favorite strip will always be the 1 November where Stuart is pushing the Christmas panel over the staff still in their Halloween costumes, discussing the store Halloween Party.
Followed by the year he did Trick or Treat in a Santa suit, giving out candy canes and Grumble’s Christmas sale coupons.
Thanks, RS Rick. I will say that “day after Halloween” for the Christmas decorations to go up would take some getting used to for me, even if that’s almost what I ended up doing this year. I said almost. I spent the week of Thanksgiving out of town and figured that since I was missing a week of Christmas vibes in my place that it was okay to decorate early. 🙂
Great essay, as usual!
In thinking about DeSoto, I’ve come to realize it’s one of the few brands with which I have no associations. I’m too young to remember them new, or even used, and I have no family members who owned one (closest I come is a quirky great uncle who owned a few Nashes).
But I’d be delighted to find an example like this on the street – what a great find!
Thanks, Eric. I do remember when my grandma would first mention the DeSoto, I struggled as a kid to envision what it might have looked like, since the make had been gone for over a decade before I was born. Obtaining / being given my first copy of the Encyclopedia Of American Cars changed all that.
Zero to Sixty when you have time! I rode in a six-cylinder equipped 1952 Desoto convertible. Rare car simply because “who would want one?” Fun essay.
Yes but ~ they were better drivers than their contemporaries and had better brakes .
These were the ‘Keller’ cars, stodgy by design, in the Mid West they handily out sold GM’s flashier cars .
-Nate
I’ve heard of “Fluid Drive”. Never “gyrol Fluid Drive”
https://www.power-flowengineer.com/fluid-drive/gyrol-fluid-drives
I guess Chrysler outsourced that transmission.
Thanks for this. No Christmas memories for me as a child, having grown up in Israel in the 60s and 70s but some grandma and Desoto ones. No, she did not have a Desoto – granddad had Simcas back then and in any case she never learned how to drive… But at least once or twice a year we went to visit our Jerusalem family members and on more than one occasion we took an intercity cab like the one below and that’s how I remember them, utterly used up but still earning someone a living. They all had their flathead sixes or Poly V8s swapped for Perkins 4 cylinder diesels which were more at home in a tractor or some industrial appliance, but they were cheap to run… And slow. Back then we had no multi-lane highway and before the 1967 war the route from my home town to Jerusalem was torturous due to the the border line, so the trip took a good 3-4 hours with a change to another cab in Tel Aviv. Grandma made sure we were well equipped with sandwiches and juice and everything needed for a few days stay in Jerusalem and then we walked from her house to the cab station, hoping we won’t have to sit on the jump seats. It was usually hot, slow and smelly trip (diesel emissions? What emissions?) but for me an adventure…
Oh, my grandma could cook amazingly well but then this is what grandmas do (?).
Aldi? In the US? It’s called Hofer here (same parent company) – are those the cookies you meant?
https://www.hofer.at/de/p.monarc-lebkuchen-pfeffernuesse.000000000270721002.html?search=Pfeffernusse+
Enjoyed reading this and the context of your experience with DeSotos. And yes, those are the cookies! Shopping at Aldi is a relatively new (meaning within the past ten years or so) experience for me, though apparently Aldi has been in the U.S. since the mid-’70s.
Never knew that. Here in Austria Aldi/Hofer started as a kind of Walmart believe it or not (cheap and nasty) but has improved through the years to position itself as a “reasonable (and sometimes even high) quality on a budget” sort of place. I do all my main shopping there. Nice they offer Austro-German food in the US, I was actually surprised by that.
As for the Desotos, here’s another image of them and others picking up tourists at the Haifa port when they were new…
At one time I would not have given this grey sedan a second look. Just an old man’s dull car. Give me a flashy mid ’50’s Cadillac. Now I look at it and can appreciate it’s quiet handsome styling. It looks exactly like what it is; a roomy and comfortable conveyance for people and their belongings. It’s everything that it needs to be and nothing that it doesn’t. The white walls give it just enough flair to look special.
Thinking about Desotos… It’s interesting that both Chrysler – with Desoto, named after Hermando de Soto – and GM – with LaSalle named after René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle – had marques named after explorers/historical persons (GM also had Pontiac which fits the “historical persons” category).
Ford had nothing of the sort.
Personally, I love brands named after actual things or people versus what seems to be the more modern trend of naming after adjectives or concepts.
In 1970, I purchased a 1950 beige DeSoto like the one pictured above from a used car lot in Phoenix, AZ. I paid $800 for it. The salesman told me it had a semi-automatic ‘clutch’. It had the fold down rear seat, which I loved because I worked the night shift at Motorola and it made the perfect bed for my boys when I picked them up from the nursery. I LOVED that car! It reminded me of a Packard that my Grandmother owned. I wish I still had that car.