Vehicle Description
1948 DeSoto Custom Convertible. In December 1974 Daryl Hemken
discovered and purchased this 1948 Desoto Custom convertible in
Cleveland, Ohio. Driving it back home he had to stop often because
the car had a leaky gas tank. He found he could only get the tank
to hold five gallons at a time, so stops were frequent and the
journey was slow. DeSoto sold 8,100 convertibles in 1948 and this
one still sports its original 237ci L-head straight six engine with
DeSoto's innovative Fluid Drive system. That system, introduced by
DeSoto in 1939, allows the car to be held stationary in any gear
without disengaging the clutch for the three-speed manual
transmission. This example isn't currently running, but is
complete, just as Daryl Hemken found it back in 1974.