DeSoto Adventurer

Initially offered only as a hardtop coupe, the Adventurer was DeSoto's top-trim level car, replacing the Custom.

Introduced in 1956 as a sub-series of the top level DeSoto Fireflite series, the Adventurer was originally marketed as a limited production two-door hardtop, and available in a white/black/gold color scheme only.

The car debuted in December 1956 as a hardtop,[2] and to rave reviews, foremost among them was Mechanix Illustrated Automobile Editor Tom McCahill who proclaimed the DeSoto as being the best styled of all of Chrysler's makes for 1957.

Along with the annual trim changes, the car also received a new grille with a mesh insert, plus dual headlights with slightly revised openings.

DeSoto offered fuel injection (produced by Bendix Corporation), the units proved troublesome and were an expensive option so very few Adventurers were sold with them.

687 units, 590 hardtops and 97 convertibles, were produced for 1959, up from 1958, but not significantly enough to help stem the forty percent drop to DeSoto's divisional sales.

Rumors began circulating that Chrysler was ready to kill the DeSoto and customers reacted by buying other makes of cars.

Also hurting DeSoto was its design, nearly identical to the Chrysler Windsor, except for the grille and the blade styled tail lights.

[10] The eponymous characters of the Sam & Max franchise traditionally drive a black-and-white 1960 DeSoto Adventurer hard-top squad car.