American Cars of 1958

[Monksdream]

Excellent YouTubecast about the DeSoto marque
What is interesting about DeSoto was the makes throughout the decades in terms exterior were not much different from what the Big 3 produced
One can witness what was, for all practical purpose, a carriage a horse or horses could pull, that transitioned into a vehicle on wheels that said “we’re not carriages; we’re cars”
Notice, too, the transition in exterior styling over the decades
From the 1930s the appearance emphasized bulk that continued into the post war era of the 1940s into the early 1950s up until the mid 1950s
After that the design transitioned from bulk to straight lines
Slim and sleek replaced fat, one could say
That slim silhouette suggested a sense of how Americans felt about themselves
Bulk and hulk gave way to elegance that transitioned from Ike and Mamie to the younger and sophisticated Jack and Jacqueline
Certainly the last DeSoto produced in 1960 for the 1961 model year was less ostentatious compared to other models Virgil Exner designed during this period for Chrysler
So why did DeSoto die.
The video narration says it all
Quality Control
Warren Buffett is famous for saying, among other things, it takes 30 years to build a reputation, but only 15 minutes to destroy it