Collector Car Corner/ Cars We Remember; Chrysler’s DeSoto was a top seller, especially during the Depression

By Greg Zyla —

Q: Greg, I have read your column for years, and you always seem to have the answers. My friend had a 1933 DeSoto 4-door sedan; the body was perfect and all original. He installed a Chrysler 360-V8 engine and added disc brakes and other updates.

I know it is a valuable car but would really like to know how rare it is, as I never see any at the car shows. Do you have any production numbers on the DeSoto for 1933? I have found nothing. My question is: should he have left the Desoto original instead of turning it into a hot rod with that 360-engine? Thank you, Albert K., Bloomsburg, Pa. 

A: Albert, that’s a tough question to answer. Dropping that 360 Mopar V8 into a beautiful ’33 Desoto is nothing different than the thousands of hot rod enthusiasts who put a small-block Chevy into, say, a ’32 Ford. It comes down to personal preferences and the fun of making a hot rod out of an old classic vehicle.

On the other side of the coin, there are those who would have kept the rare DeSoto just as it came off the assembly line. Now, even though I’m a big hot rodder at heart, I think here in 2025, I would opt to keep that DeSoto in original shape, as my appreciation for the original oldies has grown over the years because there are so few of them around.

Granted, if I were 30 years old again, I’d seriously consider dropping the 360 Mopar V8 in, with a Torqueflite automatic so everyone could drive it instead of a 4-speed.

With all this said, it looks like making the move to drop the 360-V8 in was the correct move as per values and some online research. Specifically, the value of a 1933 DeSoto can vary depending on its condition, rarity, and modifications. Based on recent sales, the average price is around $17,600 for an original. However, some restored or custom hot rod style DeSoto models have been listed for as much as $33,000, with Mopar V8 engines for power according to classic.com.

Now, here’s some history and production numbers. 

The DeSoto was introduced in 1928 as a mid-level Chrysler Corporation car slotted between Plymouth and Chrysler on the pricing hierarchy. Dodge was not yet owned by Chrysler, although Mr. Chrysler wanted the Dodge brand very much and hoped the DeSoto would fill the void until he could acquire Dodge. DeSoto, meanwhile, sold very well right from the start, even with less than the normal amount of advertising and promotion a new brand was accustomed to back then. As for your question on sales, DeSoto fared well during the Depression and sold 22,736 cars in 1933 as other manufacturers struggled. It was a clear top seller.   

Many car experts of the day felt DeSoto would go by the wayside once Chrysler bought Dodge, which it did in late 1928. However, Chrysler slotted DeSoto, which was still selling well and setting new car sales records, right above Dodge and below Chrysler in luxury prominence. Notable is that DeSotos were sold through a separate network of 2,940 dealers; thus, had Chrysler ended the DeSoto car, it surely would have resulted in legal action by the nearly 3,000 “DeSoto only” dealers.

Prices in ‘33 for the DeSoto Sedan ran from a low of $695 to a high of $975 for a convertible. Through 1961, DeSoto’s last year, over 2 million DeSotos were manufactured during its 33-year span. “DeSoto,” by the way, was named in honor of Hernando de Soto, the explorer who discovered the Mississippi River.

Today, DeSoto is a much-loved collector car, and the national DeSoto club is highly recommended if you don’t already belong (www.desoto.org). The club is planning for its 2025 annual meet to be held in Akron, Ohio, June 25 to 29.

Your friend’s DeSoto sounds like it was a great street rod. The 360 MOPAR engine keeps its horsepower coming from a well-designed small-block “gene pool,” which includes Mopar’s small-block V8 engines. These engines were widely used in Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth vehicles from 1964 to 2003.

Key Mopar Small-Block V8s include the peppy 273 cu in (4.5L) – introduced in 1964, the first LA-series engine; the 318 cu in (5.2L) – A popular and durable engine used in many Chrysler vehicles; the 340 cu in (5.6L) – A high-performance small-block favored by muscle car enthusiasts; and the 360 cu in (5.9L) – the largest of the LA-series, later evolving into the Magnum 5.9L. The Magnum-series (1992–2003) was an evolution of the LA-series, featuring improved cylinder heads and fuel injection. These engines were used in trucks, SUVs, and performance cars.

Thanks for your letter and your kind words.

(Greg Zyla is a syndicated automotive columnist who welcomes reader interaction on classic cars, auto nostalgia, and motorsports at extramile_2000@yahoo.com or at Greg Zyla, Roosevelt St., Sayre, Pa. 18840.)