Following up our Corvette Rondine spot is another Italian-American beauty, this 1954 Desoto Adventurer II Ghia Coupe. This is one of the cars that stole the show at The Elegance at Hershey last year, and I certainly had to pick my jaw up off the ground when I caught my first glimpse of it.
Styled by Italian designer, Ghia, this Desoto Adventurer II is a one-off concept car done as a design exercise. The idea was to make a European-style grand touring car on an American platform… too bad they only made one. Beneath its swooping lines Adventurer II is based on a the Desoto Firedome Sportsman, and gets its power from a 276ci (4.5L) Hemi V8. It also has a 2 speed transmission, which is quite exotic today.
The car was fully restored in 1988, and now appears at concours events like The Elegance at Hershey. This was stunning car in a beautiful venue, and we’re glad we can share it with you all. Enjoy!
-Nick Walker
Mind Over Motor 
Actually this De Soto has a special body style developed by Ghia in the 50’s called “Supersonic”. This beautiful De Soto isn’t the only one in the series : there were 3 Jaguars xk 120, one Alfa Romeo Conrero 1900, some Fiat 8v, and even an Aston Martin . The style was beautiful, sporty and dramatic. It’s design was perfect for the “jet age”. Designed by Giovanni Savonuzzi, who worked also for Cisitalia and for Chrylser in the United States
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