You barely hear anyone talk about DeSoto nowadays and that's far from surprising. Not only this brand went belly up 60 years ago as of 2021, but very few people actually remember Chrysler's swing at the mid-priced market. Well, here's a rather extreme-looking 1959 Fireflite dragster to remind you about the ill-fated brand.
Of course, this contraption has very little in common with the production DeSoto Fireflite. It boasts a wedge-shaped body, a chopped roof, and a drastically altered front fascia. And you obviously can't miss the massive blower poking through the engine hood. Damn, that thing is actually higher than the roof. Then there's the four-pipe exhaust exiting behind each front wheel.
The meaty rear tires provide traction when the blown V8 sends its juice to the pavement. We're looking at an engine capable of more than 2,000 horsepower, a figure that puts any DeSoto production model to shame. Silly comparison, I know.
But despite the heavily altered look, this dragster still retains some of the Fireflite's iconic design features. The rear fins are still there, as are the V-shaped trim elements on the rear fenders. Up front, we can still see the quad-layout headlamps, present on so many full-size vehicles from the late 1950s.
Overall, this thing has Hot Wheels written all over it. And I have to admit I wouldn't mind owning a scale model version of this beast.
Getting back to that monstrous, supercharged V8 engine, it enables the Fireflite to run the quarter-mile in less than six seconds. And fortunately enough, it's all on video. The first run in the footage below is the car's quickest at 5.78 seconds, to go with a trap speed of 254.6 mph (409.7 kph).
It's followed by a notably slower, 6.16-second run, but this one includes a cool comeback after a slow start. The DeSoto pulls another five-second run later in the video, stopping the trap speed clock at almost 223 mph (359 kph).
If you're into drag racing in general, the video includes a few more interesting dragsters, such as a Plymouth Superbird, a Pontiac Firebird, and a Ford Mustang. Wait until the end and you'll be treated to a couple of spectacular runs by a couple of jet-powered dragsters.
Established in 1928, DeSoto survived as a Chrysler division until 1961. The Fireflite was produced from 1955 to 1961 as a range-topping package for the Firedome full-size. It was sold with V8 engines only, ranging from the 4.8-liter FireDome to the 6.3-liter Turboflash. The latter developed up to 330 horsepower and 460 pound-feet (624 Nm) of torque.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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