This 1928 DeSoto Special is a marvelous example of the sort of car seen sliding around a fairground dirt track in the late 1930s. This gorgeous Special captures the essence of early American motorsport in its wide stance and purposeful, pared-down appearance. Many cars of this era featured ubiquitous Ford engines; however, this car is unusual in that it uses the powerful 170-cubic-inch Chrysler flathead six-cylinder. The compact flathead six was good for 45 horsepower in standard DeSoto trim and considerably more in this car, thanks to the Edmunds dual-carb intake and twin Zenith downdraft carburetors. Paired with an ultra-light chassis, there’s no doubting this car’s ability.

In true dirt-tracker fashion, the car requires a pull or push start, and once up and running, the six sounds fantastic, emitting a baritone bellow from the straight exhaust. It is delightful to imagine it at full chat, kicking up a rooster tail of dirt as it slides around a flat track at speed. Thanks to the excellent presentation, it would make an evocative display piece, yet it is built to run, with period-correct direct drive, hand clutch, and rear-wheel hand-operated brakes. This car would be an ideal candidate for entry into the increasingly popular world of retrospective hot rod and dirt track events like the Race of Gentlemen or the Jalopy Showdown.