Yes, the Sportsman was the name DeSoto used for its hardtops from 1950
through 1959, with the exception of the bottom 1955 Firedome hardtop that
replaced the 2-door club coupe and the 1956 Firedome Seville hardtops.
The "Sportsman" name (except Adventurer series) appeared on the front
fenders of the 1958 DeSotos and on the rear fenders in 1956 and 1959. The
series names, Firesweep, Firedome or Fireflite,. appeared on the rear in
1958 and front in 1956 and 1959.
As for the DeSoto Fireflite sedan with "Sportsman" nameplates - I have said
it before and I'll say it again . Do not assume anything that is on a car
today was on the car when it rolled out of the factory. A lot can happen
after a car is purchased by its first owner. Which is why "Never say never
with Mopar" is a fallacy.
The Shopper was the 2-seat version of the 1957-59 DeSoto wagons (Firesweep
and Fireflite) while the Explorer was the 3-seat version. The names did
appear on the exterior of the 1957 and 1958 models.
Bill
Vancouver, BC
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Sutherland
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 1:57 PM
Subject: [FWDLK] DeSoto Question(s)
Up to this point, I had always thought that "Sportsman" was synonymous with
hardtop. There is a black Fireflite sedan (all the pillars) on eBay right
now that has the Sportsman emblem and script, which makes me rethink my
original hypothesis. Can someone set me straight on this?
Mike
PS. Another DeSoto question: what is the difference between a Shopper wagon
and an Explorer wagon? Is it the rear-facing third seat, the model, or
something entirely different?
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