The honor of pacing the most prestigious sporting event in the
world is something that cannot be taken lightly. Indeed,
Oldsmobile, Chrysler, Nash, Lincoln, Studebaker, Pontiac,
Chevrolet, Ford, and Buick have all paced the Indianapolis 500
field over the years. These were dazzling cars with powerful
engines and bright graphics that let the world know who was out in
front. For 1956, the officials at Indy selected DeSoto to
pace the 40th running of the great race, but there was a problem;
DeSoto’s top-of-the-line Adventurer was not available as a
convertible for 1956, a requirement for a pace car at the
time. DeSoto quickly assembled a Fireflite with an Adventurer
drivetrain and suspension and the race was on. Of course the
general public wanted a piece of the action and DeSoto obliged with
a replica Indy Pace car built on the Fireflite line. In the
end just 186 of these gold and white beauties were built making
them a rare car in the present day.
Offered here is a 1956 DeSoto Pace car that has been nicely restored and presents in fine condition. With its dazzling graphics and bold styling, this is not a car that stays under the radar at any event. DeSoto certainly pulled out all the stops with loads of chrome and gold anodized hub caps. A space age inspired hood ornament is sleek and sexy as its points the way on the hood. The interior features a jewel like dashboard layout and its two-tone gold and tan upholstery speaks directly to the wonder fabrics of the 1950s. Shifting is easy thanks to Chrysler’s push button gear selection and this pace car is even fitted with DeSoto’s center mounted and self-winding steering wheel clock, a very rare option. Under the dashboard is Chrysler’s “Highway-Hi-Fi” record player that was manufactured for DeSoto by CBS Electronics. Clearly DeSoto skimped on nothing when it came to outfitting their pace cars with options. Under the hood is DeSoto’s 330 cubic-inch V-8 with 255 horsepower, more than enough power to pace the field. The engine compartment on this pace car is nicely detailed with correct colors and all factory components in place.
?
The privilege of pacing the fastest race in the world gives honor and prestige to any manufacturer and for 1956 DeSoto carried the field with style.
