DeSoto built its own Hemi V8 for six model years, from 1952 through 1957. These five DeSoto Hemi engines trace that run, from the 276-cubic-inch Firedome V8 to the 345 in the 1957 Adventurer.

Each size belongs to a specific year and model, so the years matter here. That’s also why each entry names the car that carried it.

1. 1952 DeSoto Firedome 276

The Firedome gave DeSoto its first overhead-valve V8 for 1952, according to Mac’s Motor City Garage. At first, it displaced 276.1 cubic inches and made 160 hp. The name came from the engine’s “fire dome” hemispherical combustion chambers. At first DeSoto sold the car as the “Firedome 8,” and then it added V8 badges shortly after.

Also, the engine was DeSoto’s own design, not a shared Chrysler unit. In fact, Over-Drive magazine says it differed in bore centers and deck height, and only the water pump interchanged with Chrysler’s Hemi. It ran a 7.0:1 compression ratio and a Carter two-barrel carburetor in 1952. By 1954, the same 276 made 170 hp, the magazine adds.

2. 1955 DeSoto Fireflite 291

For 1955, DeSoto enlarged its Hemi to 291 cubic inches. The V8 also became the brand’s only engine once DeSoto dropped the old L-head six, Mac’s Firedome history reports. Meanwhile, the new Fireflite replaced the Firedome as DeSoto’s flagship that year.

The Martin Auto Museum lists 200 hp with the four-barrel carburetor for its 1955 Fireflite Sportsman. Over-Drive gives the same 200 hp for the four-barrel Fireflite, while the two-barrel Firedome made 185 hp. According to the museum, the car weighed 4,070 lb, cost $3,544 and ran 0 to 60 mph in 11 seconds. It also says DeSoto built more than 114,000 cars in 1955, its best year since 1946.

3. 1956 DeSoto Fireflite 330

Then the Hemi grew again for 1956, to 330 cubic inches. To get there, DeSoto lengthened the stroke to 3.80 inches and raised the deck height, Over-Drive says. In the Fireflite, the Audrain Automobile Museum lists 255 hp and 350 lb-ft, the same figures Over-Drive gives.

That year, a Fireflite convertible paced the Indianapolis 500, according to the Audrain. Meanwhile, its own car wears two-tone plum and iridescent lavender paint over a lavender brocade interior. The museum also credits Chrysler designer Virgil Exner’s “Forward Look” for the tall fins and chrome. As for speed, SlashGear says a stock Fireflite reached 60 mph in just over 10 seconds.

4. 1956 DeSoto Adventurer 341

DeSoto added the Adventurer as a mid-year model on February 18, 1956, according to Mac’s Motor City Garage. Also, the two-door hardtop used the top-of-the-line Fireflite as its base. Its Hemi grew to 341.4 cubic inches through a .060-inch overbore, and it made 320 hp at 5,200 rpm.

The hardware backed up that number. Mac’s lists two Carter WCFB four-barrel carburetors, a 9.25:1 compression ratio, high-domed pistons and a heavy-duty crankshaft and rods. Meanwhile, DeSoto priced the car at $3,728, a $382 premium over the Fireflite coupe. It built 996, and they reportedly sold out within a few weeks. Later, a Daytona Beach prototype with Red Byron reached 137 mph, Mac’s adds.

5. 1957 DeSoto Adventurer 345 Hemi

For 1957, the Adventurer’s DeSoto Hemi reached 345 cubic inches and 345 hp, according to the Newport Car Museum. That works out to one horsepower per cubic inch. For example, dual four-barrel carburetors and a full race cam helped, the museum says. Over-Drive adds that 345 was the largest size the block could reach without recasting.

DeSoto built 1,950 Adventurers that year, and 300 were convertibles, Newport says. Each one cost $4,272, and it came only in white or black with gold accents. In addition, the museum quotes 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds and a 124-mph top speed. After that, DeSoto switched to Chrysler’s B-series wedge V8 for 1958, Over-Drive says, so the 1957 Adventurer’s 345 closed out the DeSoto Hemi story. Finally, Newport named a black 1957 Adventurer convertible its Car of the Month in October 2022.

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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.