1950 Desoto Custom
5,800 Original Miles
Another amazing time capsule has found it's way to Left Coast Classics! This well preserved, well maintained 1950 Desoto Custom has only 5,800 original actual miles! Having been driven under 100 miles per year on average, this one truly takes you back in time with so much originality. As you might imagine, its story is an interesting one.
Miss Minnie Hanna, born in 1880, purchased this 1950 Desoto Custom brand new with the proceeds from a highly-contested large inheritance she received in 1914 from Mrs. Ellen C. Colby, an iconic Humboldt, Iowa figure of yesteryear. Minnie was her faithful maid and Mrs. Colby made sure that her appreciation of Minni was known by the $150,000 inheritance, over $3.5 million today adjusted for inflation!
Over the 17 years that Minnie owned this Desoto, she only drove it an average of 170 miles per year. She must have had other means of transportation and this special car was clearly kept indoors at her residence. In 1967 she passed away and her car was advertised at an estate sale by auctioneers Anderson and Kleve on behalf of First National Bank. The car was advertised as having just 2,938 miles. (Photo of the flyer below).
The car was purchased by a local farming couple, Howard and Ethel Hellickson who must have appreciated the significance of not only the incredibly low miles on this special Desoto but the small-town story and controversy behind it all with Miss Hanna. Mr. Hellickson passed away just seven years later in 1974. His widow, Ethel, kept it stored away eventually selling it to a collector in Southern California in November of 1987 where it was stored inside a climate-controlled warehouse and remained until sold to it's most current owner here in the Sonoma Wine Country in September of 1996 with only 3,175 miles on it. Since 1996 it has traveled only 2,686 miles. It now has 5,861 actual miles on it.
When you open the door you are overwhelmed by the newness of its original interior. The scent of mohair and original wool carpeting and seat fabrics is intoxicating, unlike any new interior in a car of this era could omit. The trim, chrome, lenses, knobs are all amazingly well preserved. I suspect the headliner to have been replaced by the previous collector, headliners from that era tend to become brittle and this one looks perfect. Otherwise, this is the original, factory interior! All of the options and accessories are in working order. The car was originally purchased with radio-delete. A factory radio was sourced and is included with the car along with an antenna and original speaker. The trunk is well preserved as well, still sporting it's original spare, jack, chock and ornate trunk mat from the factory.
The body and paint are also very well preserved with a bit of expected patina. The chrome, trim, glass and lenses are all original along with the original lacquer paint which has had some touch-up here and there over the years but largely untouched. The front, left fender appears to have been repainted at some point though I don't see any damage and am assuming it was likely due to scratches and scrapes.
Under the hood it is equally well-preserved, still sporting the original gray paint on the block with super clean firewall still showing grease pencil and "OK" stamps right from the factory. The car starts; runs and drives beautifully with no issues.
This treasured preservation car is a very special one, indeed and begs for its next owner to carry on with its preservation to assure it's survival. Contact Donn Dabney of Left Coast Classics to discuss at 707-332-8331. To view it's ownership documentation, click here.
VIN: 50118607
