DeSoto Model K Roadster

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Walter P Chrysler introduced the DeSoto in the summer of 1928. The marque was creatively named after the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto who had mapped more territory in North America than any other adventurer.

The brand was aimed squarely at Chrysler’s mid-market rivals, General Motors, Willys-Knight and Studebaker. DeSoto production was quickly in full swing and by the end of 1928 there were 1,500 dealers selling the flagship 1929 DeSoto Six model. Immediately in high demand, it set a record for first-year sales (81,065) that was not to be beaten until the Ford Falcon of 1960.

Starting with a base price of $845 (somewhere between the basic Ford and the expensive Cadillac), the DeSoto was powered by a six-cylinder engine with 55 horsepower. The car provided engineering advantages such as an oil filter and Lockheed hydraulic brakes that were either optional or not offered by contemporary makes.

DeSoto’s specification included other innovations as standard, including ignition lock, automatic windshield wiper, brake light, and steering hub controls for headlights. Even a tool kit with grease gun.

In striking yellow with black trim, this beautiful example dates from the first year of Model K production. It was originally built in Windsor Ontario in right-hand drive form to be exported to Cambridge, New Zealand, and was registered there in December 1929 (as GF 8077). The price was $885.

The car remained in New Zealand where it was restored before being imported to the UK in 1982. It was then owned by the late Col. JD Carter, who endearingly named her ‘Daphne’. She would become a frequent entrant in shows and rallies across the North of England. Fitted with a 2.9-litre six-cylinder engine, Daphne is reported to start and run well, although she has had little use in latter years, being last on the road in 2002 and having been museum displayed since. She comes with a small amount of paperwork concerning her history and a red V5 document. She will doubtless benefit from some precautionary recommissioning before being put back into use.