To be offered at auction WITHOUT RESERVE ,Saturday, November 13, 2010
Chassis No.
50419195
Estimate:
$250,000-$325,000 US
345 bhp, 345 cu. in. Hemi V-8 with dual quads, automatic transmission with pushbutton shifter on dash, independent torsion bar front suspension, Hotchkiss style 8¾-inch rear axle with 3.54:1 differential gears, gold turbine look full wheel covers. Wheelbase: 126"

- One of the finest restored examples ever offered for sale
- The product of a cost-no-object, four-year restoration by Gilbert Probes
- The top-of-the-line example from the DeSoto lineup for 1957

“The perfect rust-free body if ever there was one,” is how Milton Robson describes this 1957 DeSoto Adventurer convertible. “When I bought it, the car had original paint. There was a little primer showing through the tops of the fenders.” He found this extremely rare DeSoto in a warehouse in California, where the climate had been very kind to the car after so many years.

Finding such a low-production, highly sought-after performance car from the 1950s was high excitement. For Robson, there was no more desirable DeSoto ever built than this model. One could go as far as to say that the DeSoto Adventurer is an American “exotic” from the 1950s.

With the division’s top Hemi V-8 under the hood, the Adventurer was an early muscle car with a set of the most aesthetically pleasing tail fins ever seen on virtually any car. Introduced in mid-model year 1956, the Adventurer was DeSoto’s top-of-the-line performance flagship. However, the ’56 Adventurer came out at the tail end of a generation of DeSotos with a more bulbous shape. The newly engineered 1957 ushered in a new “Forward Look” for all Chrysler Corporation models in a longer, lower and wider package. The 1957s have stood the test of time. In the 1950s, fins were de rigueur and echoed the public’s fascination with the possibility of space travel. The ’57 model Plymouth, Dodge, Chryslers and DeSotos had the appearance of a sleek rocket, ready to blast off.

DeSoto introduced their 1957 Adventurer in December of 1956, two months after debuting the other models. Traditional launch in those days was late September to early October. Obviously, DeSoto did not want their very special Adventurer to share the spotlight with the bread and butter sedans and coupes.

Based on the Fireflite, the Adventurer came with specified color combinations of white with black and a gold side sweep and roof or gold with a white or black side sweep and roof. DeSoto used ample doses on the car for more identification, such as the grille mesh being gold anodized. The “DESOTO” letters on the front of the hood are gold, as is the stylized DeSoto emblem on the middle of the hood. In past model years, this emblem had been a fairly accurate depiction of Hernando DeSoto’s coat of arms.

On the 1957 Adventurer, they diluted the lines for this famous logo. Recognized as the first European to cross the Mississippi River, DeSoto was the ultimate Adventurer in North America, and hence the Adventurer became the ultimate DeSoto. This logo also appears in gold on the black center of the full wheel covers. DeSoto called these covers “Turbine” style. Painted gold, they lend a real show car appearance, and no other car had them.

More gold “DESOTO” lettering appears on the rear decklid. Five stainless steel strips accent the top of the trunk. The most stylish identification comes on the sides of the tailfins where the Adventurer logo appears written in flowing style with letters joined together. Just ahead of this cursive script is a logo featuring crossed flags and a gold V accented by gold wings. Another Adventurer crest appears on each front fender, just ahead of the doors. In the center of this emblem is the highly diluted, but regal, Hernando DeSoto coat of arms. Uniquely, every Adventurer convertible top was gold.

Inside the ****pit, DeSoto inset the light gold seats (60/40 up front) with gold and white tweed in the seated portion of the benches, front and rear. They carried this theme into the door panels. The labor-intensive stitched pattern of the upper door panels reveals the workmanship of the American auto industry of the 1950s. DeSoto had a reputation for building interiors of early American parlor quality and ambience. The Adventurer bridged the gap between old American charm, the rocket age of tailfins and the impending horsepower race.

DeSoto gave special attention to the engine. The Hemi in the Fireflite was a 295-horsepower, 341-cubic inch V-8 with a single four-barrel carburetor. DeSoto engineers bored the 341 to 345 cubic inches and installed dual quads to produce 345 horsepower, or one horsepower per cubic inch. DeSoto showcased this achievement in their Adventurer, the same as Chrysler did with their “300.”

Essentially, the DeSoto was the division’s flagship, offered in coupe and convertible body styles. There were no four-door sedans. The Adventurer was to DeSoto what the “300” letter series was to Chrysler. Both were the top performance models and tested top speed on the sands at Daytona. No doubt, the new-for-1957 torsion bar front suspension (springs in the back) helped these two tons of gorgeous tailfins maneuver down the road. They were heavy duty on the Adventurer.

The Adventurer coupe retailed for $3,997 in base form. The Adventurer convertible was the highest priced DeSoto in the lineup at $4,272. Options such as a record player (called the Hi-Way Hi-Fi), electric windows and six-way power seat pushed the price up even further. Every Adventurer came with the famous push-button automatic transmission. Factory records show DeSoto built exactly 1,650 Adventurer coupes and 300 Adventurer convertibles in 1957. Milton sought out a convertible due to its rarity and more glamorous body style.

Starting with what might have been the very best combination of rust-free body and chassis in a 1957 Adventurer, Robson sent the car to Gilbert Probes for a four-year, ground-up restoration.

Milton is not prone to hyperbole, but of this 1957 DeSoto he said, “Gilbert Probes restored this car for me, took about four years. He is particular as hell. I believe this is without a doubt the finest one in the world.” The car has remained in absolutely perfect condition. It needs nothing and is show ready and road worthy in every respect. It is hard, if not impossible, to argue with Milton’s description of this particular example. This is without question the finest example RM Auctions has ever had the pleasure of offering for sale.
Advert Type: For Sale by Auction
Category: Classic Cars
Make: DeSoto
Model: Adventurer Convertible
Year: 1957
Country: USA
Region: International
Telephone: +1 519 352 4575
Status: Trade
E-mail: Contact Advertiser via Email
Listing Date: 26-Oct-2010

sidesho_bob1961 - 2010-10-28 6:55 AM

I have to admit.....IMO these look much better in black or even white. Of course, I sure wouln't kick this one out of the garage!!!

Lancer Mike - 2010-10-28 8:28 AM

Whoa! This looks like it was restored to a condition even better than when it rolled off the assembly line! A rare case where the "puffery" in the auction house description is not quite up to the car! Absolutely fantastic!

Doctor DeSoto - 2010-10-29 6:49 AM

56-59 Adventurers offered three colors, white, black, and gold ...... pick two. This made for six color
combinations. Most were white with gold sweep and roof. Technically, you could get a black car with a
white sweep and roof, but I have never seen one. I have seen a white/back 56. It resided in New Orleans,
last I heard, but that was well over 10 years ago.

59 explorer - 2010-10-30 2:23 PM

To enhance what the good Dr said

1956 Adventurers were offered in combinations of black, white and gold. I believe the NDC newsletter has featured pictures of all 6 combinations

1957 Adventurer definitely offered white/gold, gold/white, black/gold and gold/black. Ed can verify if black/white, white/black were offered

1958 Adventurer offered white/gold and gold/white

1959 Adventurer offered Black (only) and White (only)

Doctor DeSoto - 2010-10-30 1:56 AM

Also, are we saying you absolutely could not get one in the black/white, white/black combo in 57 or 58 ?
.... or is it just so never seen that we are assuming this ?

57burb - 2010-11-02 1:45 PM

......

For some reason, I'm remembering a story about Tom White's '58 EFI Adventurer having been painted all-white from the factory as a pre-production assembly evaluation vehicle. If anyone can confirm or deny, please add it here, I don't want to spread any more misinformation than I already have! :stressed:

Jason413 - 2010-10-28 8:52 AM



I agree. I prefer to add a hardtop also.

Lancer Mike - 2010-11-01 9:58 PM I almost hate to ask: with the current "it's only original once - survivor" craze, do you think this '57 Adventurer convertible would be worth more before they restored it? I know I like the "after" restoration car, but it is unusual to see a rust free unmolested car anymore...

d500neil - 2010-11-03 2:29 PM
Snot much chance that this car will ever get its wheelwells wet, again.

Another FWDLK'er off of the road.

57burb - 2010-11-03 6:08 PM

I would have no problem driving that car. You only live once.

sidesho_bob1961 - 2010-11-04 7:04 AM

That being said, to them $150,000 is like $40,000 to people like you and me.

hemidave - 2010-11-13 2:46 PM

The Adventurer conv sold for $310,000.00 this afternoon.