Title: DeSoto (automobile) - Dodge Wiki
Headings: DeSoto (automobile)
DeSoto (automobile)
Contents
1929–1942
Gallery
1946–1960
Gallery
1961
Termination factors
Recession
Dealer networks
Brand management and marketing
"The Final DeSoto"
DeSoto trucks
Models
Advertising
DeSoto in films
DeSoto in pop culture
See also
References
External links

Content: Dodge was, by far, the most successful when it introduced the lower-priced Dodge Dart in 1960, advertising for which compared the Dart to the "C" car, the "F" car, and the "P" car—Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth. While Dart sales soared in 1960, they did so at the expense of Plymouth, which lost sales to the Dart. Plymouth, traditionally one of the "low priced three" fell out of third place, only to regain it twice (1971 and 1974) before its own demise in 2001. When Chrysler marketing showed that consumers were likelier to buy an entry-level Chrysler than a DeSoto, Chrysler, seeing the opportunity, introduced the Chrysler Newport as a 1961 model, selling more than 45,000 units in its first year. At less than $3,000, the Newport, along with the Dodge Custom 880 introduced in 1962 covered the small price range that DeSoto had filled. Both Chrysler, moving downmarket with the Newport, and Dodge, moving upmarket with the 880, cut into and eroded Desoto's market. This move downmarket by Chrysler Division into DeSoto's price class was also fueled by the launch of the luxury Imperial as a separate make and division in 1955. "The Final DeSoto"
While various collectors claim to own the last DeSoto sold to the public, DeSoto's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) system was altered in its final days, showing that the "final" DeSoto could have been produced on any number of dates in the last half of November 1960. DeSoto trucks
1951 De Soto trucks ad
Chrysler Corporation introduced the DeSoto brand of trucks in 1937 to provide a greater number of sales outlets overseas for the American-built Dodge and F