De Soto advertisement from 1957.
The company was founded as a mid-price brand by Walter Chrysler with the first models appearing on the street for the 1929 model year. It was a case of poor planning however because the company bought the Dodge Brothers brand soon thereafter making DeSoto the cheaper model.
Peak of the brand was in the early 1950s and in 1956 it was selected for the prestigious slot as Indianapolis 500 Pace Car.
Sales crashed in 1958 during an economic downturn and the brand was folded after the 1961 model. According to Wikipedia the Chrysler had failed to manage their five name plates to stay in specific pricing points forcing the corporation to compete with itself.
The automobile company was a sponsor of comic Groucho Marx on both television and radio.
The advertising copy reads:
This baby can flick its tail at anything on the road De Soto
And she sure gets a big kick out of proving it. This new glamor gal leads the pack—in beauty, in performance, in rid. And talk about ride…just throw her a curve. She loves it! New Torsion-Aire ride keeps her smooth and level. Mister, here’s everything you want in a car. The man to see is your nearby De Soto-Plymouth dealer. Drive and price a De Soto before you decide.
The most exciting car in the world today!
DeSoto prices start just above the lowest
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Well, they are bringing back the Dodge Dart (which looks nothing like the car my grandma drove, with the little turn signal indicators at each end of the hood), perhaps they could bring back the De Soto as well. There’s a 300 and a 200, and the De Soto could be, like, a 100.
Apparently, the DeSoto automobile line was named after Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. Looks they’re the ones that got it wrong.
It was, in fact, named after the explorer Hernando de Soto. For awhile the hood ornament was a chrome bust of de Soto in an ornate conquistador helmet.