Vehicle Description
The Fireflite was introduced in 1955 as DeSoto's flagship model. It
was wider and longer than previous DeSoto models and it came
equipped with a V8 engine producing 200hp when equipped with the
4-barrel carburetor (190 kW) and PowerFlite automatic transmission.
The transmission was operated by a Flite-Control lever located on
the dashboard. The 1955 model year was a watershed for DeSoto, as
the company unveiled the Virgil Exner-penned "Forward Look" design.
The design was a smashing success, nearly doubling DeSoto sales for
the year, and it carried through to the end of the company's
production on November 30, 1960. The new high-line car in the 1955
DeSoto lineup was the Fireflite, with a snappy two-tone paint job
and a list of features that would make any automaker proud. The
1955 DeSoto was more rakish and sportier looking than the standard
run of Fords and Chevrolets that year, and the model was graced
with an assortment of showy trim pieces. Bright backswept fender
ornaments encompassed the headlights, a large hood ornament sat
above the grille, trim adorned the hood line, a chrome-lined color
sweep extended the length of the car, more trim was affixed to the
lower rocker panel, and V8 emblems abounded This 1955 DeSoto
Fireflite won the Goodguys 6th Spring Nationals in Scottsdale, AZ,
in 2015.
