1956 DeSoto Firedome Station Wagon - $42,900 - PA - Not Mine

[6T-FinSeeker]

Just listed For Sale on Ebay: 1956 DeSoto Firedome 4-Door Station Wagon in Connellsville, PA  -  Classified ad price: $42,900.00  -  Ebay Seller: scottcswholesale or call the dealer at (888) 231-9315

 

Link to Ebay:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/124321314363

 

Seller's Description:

This 1956 DeSoto Firedome Wagon is finished in two-tone Light Aqua and white and is powered by a 330ci Hemi V8. Service was overseen by Chris Campbell of The Vintage Connection, where over $10k was spent on restoring the interior with a reconditioned plywood floor and new headliner, carpet, and door panels. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a 2-speed pushbutton automatic transmission, repainted the two-tone Light Aqua and white exterior, which was designed by Virgil Exner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by 6T-FinSeeker
update info (see edit history)

[suchan]

Clean wagons are always good to see.

Price is a little optimistic?

Seats look about as comfortable and stylish as those in an old school bus. With the $$ spent on the interior, you'd think they could've done better by the seats.

[6T-FinSeeker]

I have to admit I'm pretty much in the dark on values when it comes to station wagons, but I thought it was an interesting find. 

 

NADA Guides values the car as follows:

Original MSRP:      $3,371

Low Retail:          $23,800  

Average Retail:   $38,800

High Retail:       $102,000  

 

 

 

[neil morse]

NADA Guide seems completely worthless.  I defy anyone to find a '56 DeSoto wagon that has sold for $102K.  The "low retail" seems about as accurate.

[6T-FinSeeker]

1 hour ago, neil morse said:

NADA Guide seems completely worthless. 

 

You're right!

I checked the values against the Old Cars Collector Car Price Guide (2019): 

#1 Condition:  $37,000

#2 Condition:  $25,900

#3 Condition:  $16,650

 

BIG discrepancy. Thanks for pointing that out. 

 

Edited September 4, 2020 by 6T-FinSeeker (see edit history)

[JamesR]

On 9/3/2020 at 11:28 PM, 6T-FinSeeker said:

BIG discrepancy. Thanks for pointing that out. 

 

 But at any price, Mopar wagons from the early to mid fifties are unusual and cool, and I love seeing pictures of them. Thanks for posting the ad.

[Guest]

On 9/3/2020 at 8:42 AM, suchan said:

Clean wagons are always good to see.

Price is a little optimistic?

Seats look about as comfortable and stylish as those in an old school bus. With the $$ spent on the interior, you'd think they could've done better by the seats.

I completely agree. Even the speedo escutcheon looks a little grody in the up close shot, considering the asking price.

NADA guide is science fiction, as usual.

 

[The 55er]

Is the dealer/seller representing this wagon as having 9216 original miles? You'd have to prove it to me.  It looks great in the pictures except for those awful seats which are really hurting its value IMO. It would benefit from having a better steering wheel and a correct outside rear view mirror. That 42.9K asking price seems really high, I'd think maybe 25-28K would be more realistic as it sits.

[Matt Harwood]

We paid about half that price for Melanie's '56 Chrysler wagon, which is more or less the same car. Paint and chrome on the DeSoto are probably better, but our interior and engine bay are better and our car has more options (power windows and power seat). DeSoto has a Hemi while the Chrysler has a Polyhead V8, although that isn't really a make-or-break factor for me. No way that's original mileage and I don't think that interior is correct. I think he's very, very optimistic on his pricing, but it's potentially a great driving car.

[Walt G]

I seem to recall a car like this for sale around Port Jefferson, long island , NY within the past year or more. Price then was also in the higher(est) range.

[John_S_in_Penna]

On 9/3/2020 at 11:17 PM, neil morse said:

NADA Guide seems completely worthless. 

 

I agree that the prices quoted here from NADA seem ridiculous.

 

However, a little noted fact is found in the preface

to their collector-car price book (available in the 

AACA Library).  They acknowledge that their prices

are higher than the norm, but their prices are for

ALL-ORIGINAL cars, they say.  I don't think that fact

is made clear if you check their valuations on the internet.

[Desotomatic2021]

To breath life into this post I came across this for the same car. Does the current version of this car look any different than the Bring a Trailer version of this car to warrant a double in the sold price from 2018? 

 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1956-desoto-firedome/

[Fossil]

Holy smokes, that must have been a real kick in the gut. 

[John_S_in_Penna]

Just for our record here (if the Bring-a-Trailer

link ever fails), this car reportedly sold for

$20,000 on August 27, 2018.  The car appears

unchanged from then to now, with even the

same incorrect interior.

[Desotomatic2021]

Good point on posting the data from Bring-a-Trailer, the car has some very minor issues (cosmetically) from the 2018 sale in my opinion. If none of that has been repaired I can't imagine the price increase. Maybe they saw the one in Germany selling for that kind of money? The auction winner from 2018 seemed very excited to win the car based on the comments, I know things change. I really like this wagon, low-mid 20's would put me in it if they would dare come back down to reality.