Forgotten ONES Indeed, discussing the figure of a beautiful unique car is fun and will never end. So, what we will discuss this time is one of the vehicles named the DeSoto Adventurer I, is projected to be a future sports car back in early of the 1950s and designed by the famous American auto designer Virgil Exner (later known Chrysler's Styling Director) whose then handed over the car construction works to Turin-based coachbuilder Ghia. How's could it be?
The DeSoto Adventurer I Concept is a four-passenger sports coupe designed by Virgil Exner and bodied by Turin-Based coachbuilder company Ghia back in the 1950s. (Picture from: Mad4Wheels)
It began when the design of the American dream cars began to be dominated by the car's design inspired by jets and spaceships during the early 1950s, this could be seen in the design of Ford's concept cars. Meanwhile, as a designer Virgil Exner felt uncomfortable with such conditions, according to him the design should not be applied to four-wheeled vehicles.
The DeSoto Adventurer I Concept had displayed for the first time November 12 (1953) at a national press showing of new 1954 model cars at the Chrysler Corporation's head offices in Detroit.(Picture from: CarStyling.ru)
For that reason, then he prefers the style of sports cars and sports-touring made by the Italian coachbuilder companies such as Ghia, Pinin Farina, Vignale, Touring and Zagato, because he feels these Italian-styled designs are more appropriate to be applied to the figure of a future dream car. In short, he then concieved and designed such an out of the box dream car at Chrysler's styling studios in Detroit in the style of a four-passenger sports coupe for the DeSoto Division of Chrysler Corporation without any jets or spaceships designs which became a trend at the time.
The DeSoto Adventurer I Concept has a wheelbase of 111 inches, is only 53 inches high and is powered by an V8 Desoto FireDome engine. (Picture from: CarStyleCritic)
For your information, DeSoto (sometimes De Soto) is an American car brand owned, produced and sold by the Chrysler Corporation from 1928 to 1961. While the DeSoto logo features an image of Hernando de Soto. The De Soto brand was finally officially closed by Chrysler on November 30, 1960, with previous sales reaching 2 million units since 1928.😢
The DeSoto Adventurer I Concept was in a show-setting publicity photo. (Picture from: CarStyleCritic)
To realized, it built on a modified DeSoto chassis, its body was hand-crafted by Ghia, a Turin-based coachbuilder company. After completed, this unique sports car of future has a wheelbase of 111 inches, is only 53 inches high and is powered by an V8 Desoto FireDome engine capable to burst power of 170-horsepower.
The DeSoto Adventurer I Concept featuring a nicely shaped grill that combines classical verticality with practical 1950s horizontal elements, couple with the massive bumper. (Picture from: CarStyleCritic)
As you could be seen to the car's front quarter view featuring a nicely shaped grill that combines classical verticality with practical 1950s horizontal elements, couple with the massive bumper with little ability to protect a car from damage. Its fenders are blended into the body, yet retain a typical hint of pre-1950 separateness, that's also means no flow-through side fender design as used to be had of an American car on this vintage.
The DeSoto Adventurer I Concept has a nice, long hood, could be said almost too long, as the driver sits slightly abaft of the car's center. (Picture from: CarStyleCritic)
Now, as we would seen on the side that reveals if this car has a nice, long hood. Could be said almost too long, as the driver sits slightly abaft of the car's center. The car also had the single side window makes for a clean passenger compartment exterior design, but the passengers seat on the back out of vision is blocked by the wide pillar. Uniquely on the side of this car, also looks like it has a cool clean stainless-steel exhaust system.
The DeSoto Adventurer I Concept has a cool clean stainless-steel exhaust system. (Picture from: OldCarandTruckPictures)
The back of this car can also be said to appear cool with a large bumper. It's probably needed here thanks to the delicate tuned-under aft end of the body. Unfortunately at the rear considered lacking in the absence of a trunk lid and the only opening appears to be only for access to the spare tire.
Rear quarter view of the DeSoto Adventurer I Concept showing an open door and some interior features(Picture from: Mad4Wheels)
As the result, the Adventurer finished under a lighter white-painted schemes that could be reduced the visual effect of body sculpting because highlights are camouflaged, with noticed how the fenders nearly disappear here. Meanwhile, its interior was swathed in black leather with white piping, and satin-finish aluminum set off a dashboard with a complete bank of circular gauges accompanied cool steering wheel.
The rear quarter view of the DeSoto Adventurer Concept can also be said to appear cool with a large bumper. (Picture from: CarStyleCritic)
No wonder, if this DeSoto Adventurer was a favorite car of Virgil Exner's, who drove it for almost three years following its car show duties. Reportedly, he tried hard to lobby Chrysler's top brass so that this car can be realized in a limited number of production versions. Though initially it came closer to approval, Chrysler management just didn’t have the courage, due to the 1930s Airflow commercial disasterous memories still lingered at Chrysler and coupled with corporate conservatism, doomed the car to concept-only status.😭
After that the DeSoto Adventurer I by Ghia show car is not known its whereabout. Maybe its story has been erased along with the arrival of the Corvette, the newly Chevy’s two-seater sports car in 1953, and other one-off 1954 DeSoto Adventurer II and 1955 Chrysler Falcon, Flight Sweep I, Hardtop Flight Sweep II concept cars.🤔 *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARSTYLECRITIC | WIKIPEDIA | CARSTYLING.RU | MAD4WHEELS | ALLCARINDEX | DISAFFECTEDMUSINGS | CLASSICCARCATALOGUE ]
