1953 Firedome V8 Desoto

I kept uncle Bruno’s 1953 4 Door Firedome V8 Chrysler Desoto for many years. It has a story that must be told. I have no original pictures only the fond memories.

In 1953 Uncle Bruno purchased a new all white 1953 Desoto like the white one to the right only it had a white roof. Uncle Bruno lost the car in a divorce and his ex-wife moved on without the car but kept the title. The Desoto sat in the same spot from 1953 to 1977 with the 1953 Flathead County 1953 license plates. I was born in 1955 and my first memories of the car was it sitting on the corner of dad property and it was bright and shiny. Not a scratch, not a mark or no broken glass.

In the mid 60’s Uncle Bruno said just take the car to the landfill and have it crushed for junk. By then the paint was starting to loose its gloss but it was never started or moved. I begged my father to keep the car for me to have when I was older. The car never moved till the property that it sat was sold to Mark in 1970. I filled the tires up with air and we pulled it up behind the planer mill. In 1976 the property that the car sat was sold.

I let the car sit in the same spot after the sale to be moved the following spring. When I went to pick up and move the Desoto it had been moved. They say a loader was used to move the car and the left rear corner had been pushed in 4-5inches. The right rear window was buster out, The honey comb radiator was stolen, the generator was stolen and the carburetor busted. The taillight and headlights were broken. Someone had been inside the car and because of its age the material on the seats had been ruined. What a shame for a car that was almost new sat till destroyed.

From the mill property I moved the Desoto to the Noisy Creek ranch where is again sat for 2 years and in the mid 1980’s Uncle Bruno’s son Ben wanted the car. I told him that Uncle Bruno wanted it sent to salvage and I saved it so I thought it was mine. Ben did not argue and several years later I told him I changed my mind and would help him get the Desoto home. Ben had also lost interest in the car now that it needed so much work.

Early 90’s a fellow from Lakeside asked to buy the car for the motor and he had someone interested in the car. This fellow said he made specialty push rods for race cars and sold them nationally. I believe the sum of $200 was exchanged and he loaded up the Desoto. He had a hard time loading it hood forward so he loaded it backwards. I believe it may have been to heavy in the back but I was not there when he loaded it. The story was that he had borrowed Danny’s almost new truck and trailer to haul the car. He headed down the hill by Bigfork heading to Sommers (By the Cross) and the trailer began to fishtail and the Desoto, the pickup and the trailer flipped over in the ditch and totaled all 3.

A new car in the middle of a divorce, sat for 40 years and came to final resting in the salvage yard.

I had many fond memories sitting in the Desoto when I was young with aspirations that I would fix it up. It is now only memories and without the original pictures.