There is significant interest today in so-called “orphan” cars, those made by marques that ultimately did not survive the highly competitive world of automobile manufacturing. DeSoto, formerly a division of Chrysler, is one such company. Known today mostly for producing the high-quality, family-style cars that typify 1950s America, DeSoto also achieved importance as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles. Named after the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto, the brand was introduced as a mid-range marque, above Plymouth and below Dodge. A lot of successful cars were produced under the DeSoto name from 1928 until its dissolution in 1961. These include the DeSoto Six in 1929, the DeSoto Firedome in 1952, and the DeSoto Firesweep in 1957. In the brand's last years, the top of their line was the Adventurer.

The Adventurer, first introduced in 1956, represented a true milestone in quality and performance. Powered by a 355-horsepower, 345-cubic-inch Fireflite V-8 engine, the 1957 Adventurer was the first production vehicle to make the vaunted target of one horsepower per cubic-inch with the standard engine package. Not just a high-performance vehicle, the Adventurers were offered with automatic transmissions as standard and were available with a wide range of optional comfort and convenience equipment, including full power accouterments, air conditioning, a range of radio options, and a unique steering-wheel-mounted, self-winding clock. At a factory suggested retail price of $4,272, just 300 Adventurer convertibles, including the example offered here, were completed.

This superbly presented DeSoto Adventurer is likely one of the finest Adventurers available anywhere in the world. The car is said to have been fully restored, with reportedly fewer than 100 miles driven since completion of the work.

Presented in beautiful white and gold over a champagne and white interior and fitted with wide whitewall tires on gold wheels, the car is simply stunning. Fitted with power seats, power windows, AM radio, and both the dash-mounted electric and self-winding steering wheel clocks, this Adventurer is truly ready to live up to its name, sure to provide countless miles of mid-century motoring at its finest. All proceeds of this sale will go to the James and Sherry Raisbeck Foundation.