The entry-level Firesweep wasn't really a DeSoto underneath: it rode on a shortened Dodge shell and chassis, wearing only a DeSoto grille and bumper to disguise it.
Lead trim: Firesweep 325 cu in Poly V8 power-pack (260 hp at 4400 rpm, 1957) · up to 295 hp
DeSoto Firesweep1957–1959
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a DeSoto Firesweep yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe entry-level Firesweep wasn't really a DeSoto underneath: it rode on a shortened Dodge shell and chassis, wearing only a DeSoto grille and bumper to disguise it.
The DeSoto Firesweep (also the export DeSoto Diplomat) was a lower-priced entry from 1957 to 1959 that combined a Dodge shell and chassis (a 122 in wheelbase, four inches shorter than the senior DeSotos) with a DeSoto bumper and grille and tailfins; the front clip and headlights under chromed lids were Dodge (Coronet), and 1957 models were sold only as imports in Canada at first. It seated six as a four-door sedan, four-door station wagon, two-door hardtop and four-door hardtop (a convertible added for 1958), weighing 3,660 to 3,980 lb, at US$3,169 in 1957 with a two-speed PowerFlite, three-speed TorqueFlite or three-speed manual. The 1957 engine was the Dodge "Poly" 325 V8 (a detuned polyspherical version of the Red Ram 325 Hemi), 260 hp at 4400 rpm with the optional power-pack four-barrel (fifteen more than the two-barrel); 1958 had a 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8 and 1959 a 361 cu in (5.9 L). 1957 was the best sales year; production ended after 1959, and it was also assembled in Australia in 1958–1960 from CKD kits (350 cu in, then 361 cu in), replaced by the Dodge Phoenix.
Collectors Spotted in the DeSoto Firesweep Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the DeSoto Firesweep yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firesweep 325 cu in Poly V8 power-pack (260 hp at 4400 rpm, 1957) | 1957–1957 | 5.3 L V8 | 260 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Firesweep 350 cu in V8 (1958) | 1958–1958 | 5.7 L V8 | 280 hp | 380 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Firesweep 361 cu in V8 (1959) | 1959–1959 | 5.9 L V8 | 295 hp | 390 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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