Vehicle Description
1948 DeSoto DeLuxe Club Coupe ?One of 2,957 DeSoto DeLuxe Club
Coupes made in 1948?237 CID L-head straight six-cylinder
engine?Gyrol Fluid-Drive semi-automatic transmission and 3.90
gearing?Briggs Body?Royal Maroon exterior and maroon
interior?Documentation includes a DeSoto Shop Manual 1941-1948 plus
instructions on how to use the Fluid-Drive transmission After World
War II, some marques unveiled new models within a year or two while
others simply re-used their pre-war bodies and just change some
bits of trim. This 1948 DeLuxe Club Coupe is one of 2,957 models
made that year with a body by Briggs. This handsome and rarely seen
DeSoto comes from a local consigner who has decided to part with
this stunning steed, looking for a new home! The car?s Royal Maroon
exterior is in overall very good order, with only minor flaws
visible close up. The bodywork is straight and solid, the car?s
engine bay is extremely tidy, the battery appears new, the cargo
area looks great and the chrome bumpers are sharp. The car has
whitewall radials, size 22575R15 at all four corners. Each one is
mounted on a wire wheel cover. All tires and wheels are in good,
original condition. Standard equipment on DeLuxes included dual sun
visors, dual two-speed electric wipers, directional signals with
parking brake light, cigar lighter, stainless steel trim rings,
illuminated glove box with lock, dualoutside door locks, map light,
counter balanced luggage compartment lid, illuminated luggage
compartment, right and left front door arm rests, interior door
locks and bumper guards front and rear. Under the hood is
Chrysler?s 237 CID straight six-cylinder engine. Behind the motor
is one of the interesting semi-automatics from the late 1940s,
Gyrol Fluid Drive. Fluid Drive was not automatic in any way. With
the semi-automatic transmissions, the driver shifted manually,
selecting reverse or a low range and a high range. Each ?range? had
two speeds. To shift between them, the driver accelerated then
released pressure on the accelerator. In high range, this shift
point was about 23 mph. Once the transmission shifted into high
speed range, the driver again depressed the accelerator pedal, and
continued accelerating. Solenoids on the transmission connected to
the carburetor and ignition system momentarily interrupted engine
operation to allow trouble-free shifting. The driver could
down-shift for passing by fully depressing the accelerator. The
clutch was needed to change between low and high range. The fluid
drive system allowed the driver to stop at a light or in traffic
and remain in gear without depressing the clutch. The driver could,
if not concerned with fast acceleration, drive the car all day long
in high range, stopping and starting, without ever having to touch
the clutch pedal or gearshift lever unless faster acceleration or
reversing was required. For this reason, DeSotos and Dodges were
favored by city taxicab companies from the mid-Forties to early
Fifties. The semi-automatic came under a variety of names -
Vacamatic, Prestomatic, Fluidmatic (Chrysler), Simplimatic, Tip-Toe
Hydraulic Shift (DeSoto) and Gyromatic (Dodge). The car also has a
3.90:1 rear end. Inside, the car?s maroon cloth interior is in
overall very good order. The bench seats look fantastic, while the
matching carpet and headliner are in very good shape. The
two-spoke, DeLuxe steering wheel looks great. The metal instrument
panel, with a full array of gauges, is in very good order, as are
the inner door panels. Completed the interior is an AM/FM stereo
with a cassette deck set into the floorpan over the transmission
tunnel. Documentation includes a DeSoto Shop Manual 1941-1948 plus
instructions on how to use the Fluid-Drive transmission.
Competition to this DeSoto in 1948 included Dodge?s Custom Club
Coupe, Hudson?s Super Six, Oldsmobile?s Dynamic 66 Club Coupe and
Pontiac?s Torpedo Eight Sport Coupe. One of the rarer stars in the
automotive universe, DeSoto was Chrysler Corporation?s equivalent
to Buick, Hudson, Oldsmobile, Mercury and briefly, Edsel. The
DeSoto DeLuxe represented the company?s base model until 1953. If
you?re after a post-war car uncommon today, one that will turn
heads at a car show or cruise night event, you couldn?t go wrong
with this 1948 DeSoto. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today and
see it for yourself! VIN: 6199286Body#: 7295 This car is currently
located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on
the odometer shows 87,084 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a
clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!?Note:
Please see full terms and conditions listed below that pertain to
the purchase of any said vehicle, thank you.
