1956 De Soto Fireflite Pacesetter convertible. Photos courtesy of Bonhams.
Fresh from its successful debut in 1955, the DeSoto Fireflite received a bump in horsepower and a subtle restyle for 1956. It was also chosen as the “Pacesetter,” or pace car, for the 40th running of the Indy 500, and to commemorate the occasion 400 Fireflite Pacesetter convertibles were offered for sale to the public. Last weekend, a 1956 De Soto Fireflite Pacesetter convertible with a single-family history, said to be “beautifully preserved,” crossed the stage in Greenwich, Connecticut, selling for a price of $56,100 with proceeds going to multiple charities.
To emphasize its jet age styling, the 1956 De Soto Firedome sported rear fins absent in the car’s first year. As in 1955, power still came from a hemi-head V-8, but displacement was bumped from 291-cu.in. to 330.4-cu.in., while output grew from 200 horsepower to 255 horsepower. A push-button Powerflite transmission became a standard Fireflite feature for 1956, replacing both the three-speed manual and the optional overdrive available in the car’s first year.
Priced from $3,615, $71 more than a regular Fireflite convertible, the Pacesetter convertible was the most expensive offering in the Fireflite lineup for 1956. Delivered to dealers with a distinctive white and gold livery and a gold interior, Pacesetter models also came equipped with a heavy-duty suspension, and, often, nearly every power accessory in the De Soto catalog. Dealers were also shipped stencils to letter the car in the same manner used by the actual Indianapolis pace car, but many Pacesetters were delivered sans markings at the customer’s request.
The Pacesetter convertible seen here was purchased by Patrick De Grazio of New Rochelle, New York, in January of 1957. Patrick would enjoy the car for a mere nine months before his unexpected death in October of 1957, at which time the car went to his brother, Gus. Gus used the car sparingly, and in the nearly six-decades since the car was built, just 60,626 miles have rolled beneath its wheels.
Bonhams states that Gus kept the car in the family, though it’s not clear exactly when the De Soto was taken off the road. Prior to its sale, the car was mechanically refurbished to “ensure proper running order,” and while not declaring the convertible entirely original, Bonhams did describe it as “doubtlessly the most honest and original” among the 30 or so remaining De Soto Pacesetter convertibles. Despite proceeds going to several charities, its selling price of $56,100 was considerably less than the $99,000 realized for a restored example in November of 2014, a car that previously sold in October of 2012 for $115,500.
1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio convertible.
Cars in the top-10 in Greenwich included a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio convertible, with coachwork by Gangloff, which sold for $1,595,000; a 1938 Mercedes-Benz 320 Long Wheelbase Kombination, which sold for $825,000; a 1973 Porsche 911 RS 2.7 M472 Touring, which sold for $594,000; a 1939 Delahaye 135M Competition convertible coupe, which sold for $297,000; a 1938 Jaguar SS100 2½-Liter roadster, which sold for $231,000; a 1935 SS90 roadster, which sold for $214,500; a 1939 Packard Twelve 1708 convertible sedan, which sold for $160,600; a 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL, which sold for $155,100; a 1958 Jaguar XK150 3.4-Liter roadster, which sold for $115,500; and a 1931 Lincoln Model K convertible coupe, which sold for $114,400.
1974 Chevrolet Caprice convertible.
Though the auction was centered on higher-end cars, there were a few lots to be found in the sub-$19,000 price range, including a 1965 Checker Marathon taxi, the last one in active New York City service, which sold for $7,700; a 1976 MG Midget Mk IV roadster, which sold for $11,000; a 1979 Porsche 928 coupe, which sold for $12,100; a 1965 Austin A35 van, which sold for $12,100; a 1956 Velam Isetta, which sold for $13,200; a 1958 Vespa 400 First Series Transformable, which sold for $14,850; a 1974 Chevrolet Caprice convertible, which sold for $15,400; a 1916 Elgin Six Touring, which sold for $17,600; a 1949 Triumph 2000 roadster, which sold for $18,700; and a 1959 Autobianchi Bianchina First Series Transformable Coupé, which sold for $18,700.
For complete results from the Greenwich sale, visit Bonhams.com.
More gadget review in www.mamaktalk.com
