1961 De Soto Convertible

[De Soto Joe]

So a few weeks ago on my quest (see pics, but imagine 2dr hardtop) I stumble across a magazine in Swedish for sale on eBay Germany. I break out the universal translator and ask how much shipping might be, and here we are 6 Euros less with a copy of a 1996 magazine in Swedish.

So, I find a take-a-pic-and-translate app for the iPhone and all the article says is that some Swedish guy, bought it from another Swedish guy, who restored it, after it was plucked from rotting in a Nevada yard somewhere for decades, grasses and such growing through the car. It also says that it has a 383 Golden Lion, but not if it was original to the car (361 was the only registered engine for 61s). The owner looked at all the literature he could find and no where does it say that any 1961 De Soto Convertibles were made. The guy who restored it had nothing to add about the car, or if it was factory. That current owner (in 1996) suggested that factories made prototypes, and this might have been it.

To me the seats are odd, for a 1961 De Soto 2dr or 4dr, not just the upholstery choice in fabrics and colours, but also the form, as the fronts seat have all had that higher drivers seat bench and this doesn't. The rest of the car looks 1961 De Soto.

I haven't seen a 1961 Chrysler convertible in the flesh recently, so I can't compare the convertible bits, to determine if it was a hacksaw convert or came without the top.

What do you all think?

pics iPhoned in from magazine

Ps. The guy that owned it won best car in Sweden for 1996 both from the judges and the crowd.

 

[1978 NYB]

 

[1978 NYB]

61 Newport

 

[1978 NYB]

61 Chrysler 300G

 

[1978 NYB]

61 New Yorker

 

[78Brougham]

The dash board is definitely Desoto, just like the '60 I had. The Chryslers had the Electroluminescent Dome or whatever its called dash. The seat IS higher on the drivers side. Definitely hard to see because of the angle but it is higher.
Whichever way it came about... a one off or someones handywork it is GORGEOUS!

 

[Jim 68cuda]

Since Desoto convertibles and wagons were discontinued after the '59 model year, and since the writing was already on the wall before the 61 went into production, I doubt that it was any kind of concept car. Production of the 61 Desoto stopped before the 1961 calendar year began. That really leaves only two possibilities. First and most likely is that someone built it by combining Chrysler and DeSoto parts from two doner cars. A more interesting possibility is that it could be a one off from the factory built for a Chrysler executive or possibly for use in a TV show sponsored by DeSoto.
In 55-56 according to corporate records, Imperials were never available as convertibles. But in the last ten years, evidence has turned up that possibly as many as six were built. This was found out after a beautifully restored 55 Imperial convertible showed up at the AACA show at Hershey with full documentation showing its history as having been built for a Chrysler executive. Meanwhile we all know the stories about 72 Challenger and Cuda convertibles having been made for television use after having been converted from 1971 models. I know I remember seeing an old TV show (either an episode of Mission Impossible, Name of the Game, or Dark Shadows from 69 or 70) that had a 69 Imperial convertible probably assembled with parts from a 69 Chrysler convertible and 69 Imperial. So, you can never say never.

 

[kmccabe56]

Since Desoto convertibles and wagons were discontinued after the '59 model year, and since the writing was already on the wall before the 61 went into production, I doubt that it was any kind of concept car. Production of the 61 Desoto stopped before the 1961 calendar year began. That really leaves only two possibilities. First and most likely is that someone built it by combining Chrysler and DeSoto parts from two doner cars. A more interesting possibility is that it could be a one off from the factory built for a Chrysler executive or possibly for use in a TV show sponsored by DeSoto.
In 55-56 according to corporate records, Imperials were never available as convertibles. But in the last ten years, evidence has turned up that possibly as many as six were built. This was found out after a beautifully restored 55 Imperial convertible showed up at the AACA show at Hershey with full documentation showing its history as having been built for a Chrysler executive. Meanwhile we all know the stories about 72 Challenger and Cuda convertibles having been made for television use after having been converted from 1971 models. I know I remember seeing an old TV show (either an episode of Mission Impossible, Name of the Game, or Dark Shadows from 69 or 70) that had a 69 Imperial convertible probably assembled with parts from a 69 Chrysler convertible and 69 Imperial. So, you can never say never.

As you and 78Brougham have pointed out, all of these cars are the results of creative parts swapping, thanks to the cars in question having common underpinnings. The '61 DeSoto required a '61 2dr hardtop and a '61 Chrysler convertible. Swap the front clip, the I/P, tail lights, moldings etc, and voila. Same for the '72 E body convertibles. Those cars all started as '71s and no amount of parts swapping is going to change the model year of the car. Fuselage Imperial convertibles require the same creativity as the '61 DeSoto. Swap the front clip on its subframe, the I/P, the quarter panel caps & decklid, the interior and bumpers. All of the "newfound" '55 & '56 Imperials were cobbled together by Chrysler from New Yorker convertibles. That's a pity really, because the length and majesty of the true Imperials of those years is lost in the short wheelbase. A friend and I have investigated building a proper '56 Imperial convertible and this is the most involved conversion. It requires swapping in the entire cowl (actually only the top half is required) from a convertible into a decapitated 2dr hardtop along with the convertible reinforcements around the rear seat area, the complete top, cylinders, pump and plumbing. The original convertible rear seat would need to be retrimmed in the Imperial fabrics. If you chose an a/c car for the conversion, you could use the a/c switch on the dash for the top. Surprisingly the hardtop and convertible side glass is the same, so no glass needs to be transferred.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

I took this photo at a National Chrysler Products Club show in Maryland in 2013. I am told that this blue 56 was a factory built Imperial convertible made for a Chrysler executive.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

This is the green 55 Imperial convertible prototype that showed up at the 2000 Hershey AACA show and created massive interest.

 

[cm23uoc]

From this pic it seems the convertible has the shorter Chrysler wheelbase as mentioned before.

 

[Snotty]

61 New Yorker

This was the last year for a New Yorker ragtop.

 

[Snotty]

The seat IS higher on the drivers side. Definitely hard to see because of the angle but it is higher.

The driver's seats were higher in those years. Here's from the '62 that I owned, even in its ugly interior glory. You can just see the raised area underneath the hideous sheepskin cover in
this shot:

 

[bluefury361]

a 61 Desoto vert would have been a beauty had it happened.

 

[78Brougham]

Nice try at photo shopping. Too bad the windshield isn't right. Looks like the windshield is from a 64-66 Imperial. Doesn't line up with the vent window frame. Aside from that it would have been an awesome Desoto convertible.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

Nice try at photo shopping. Too bad the windshield isn't right. Looks like the windshield is from a 64-66 Imperial. Doesn't line up with the vent window frame. Aside from that it would have been an awesome Desoto convertible.

Haha. Looks like he got you. The yellow one isn't photo shop. Its a 1/18 scale diecast model of a DeSoto hardtop thats had the roof cut off.

 

[67-Fury]

This was the last year for a New Yorker ragtop.

A junkyard i used to go to as a Kid, Had a 61 NYer convertible, 413 car. Car is long gone sadly. But i think they only made about 500 or so of those.

 

[Snotty]

Would love to have one, but a '60 preferably.

 

[78Brougham]

Haha. Looks like he got you. The yellow one isn't photo shop. Its a 1/18 scale diecast model of a DeSoto hardtop thats had the roof cut off.

Same difference LOL Photo shop or cut off top