DeSoto Serial Numbers 1929-1961

DeSoto Serial Numbers 1929-1961

Serial numbers are helpful in DeSoto identification. While not the final word in verification, they can help the DeSoto enthusiast differentiate typical DeSotos. Extreme cases, such as unusual equipment, Adventurers, or claims of famous ownership, require extensive research to beyond this simple tool.

Serial numbers are located on the car in the following areas:
1929 - 1931: dashboard, passengerside front door pillar
1931 - 1961: driverside door pillar

Engine numbers are generally located at the driverside front of the block at the cylinder head.

S E L E C T M O D E L Y E A R:

1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934
1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940
1941 | 1942 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949
1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955
1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961

YEAR	MODEL	ENGINE PREFIX	PLANT	BEGINING SERIAL NUMBER	ENDING SERIAL NUMBER
1929 menu	6	K	Detroit	KW-000-P	KD-999-D
			Detroit	KK-000-P	KK-143-W
			Windsor	OW-000-P	OW-878-Y
1930 menu	8	CF	Detroit	L-001-WP	L-185-PH
			Detroit	6,000,001	6,000,714
			Windsor	G-001-WP	G-010-SW
	6	CK	Detroit	5,000,001	5,011,672
	6	CK	Windsor	9,600,001	9,600,600
1931 menu	8	CF*	Detroit	L-185-PR	L-192-DP
			Detroit	6,000,801	6,004,022
			Windsor	9,700,001	9,700,121
	6	SA	Detroit	5,011,801	5,040,056
	6	SA	Windsor	9,600,601	9,601,588
	6 (Export)	SAX	Windsor	9,901,001	9,901,316
1932 menu	Standard 6	SC-SCX	Detroit	5,040,201	5,055,921
	Standard 6	SC-SCX	Windsor	9,601,651	9,602,649
	Custom 6	SC-SCX	Detroit	6,005,001	6,012,579
	Custom 6	SC-SCX	Windsor	9,702,001	9,701,201
1933 menu	Standard 6	SD-SDX	Detroit	5,056,001	5,068,056
1933 menu	Custom 6	SD-SDX	Detroit	6,013,001	6,023,403
1934 menu	Airflow	SE-SEX	Detroit	5,068,501	5,082,105
1934 menu	Airflow	SE-SEX	Windsor	9,603,041	9,603,434
1935 menu	Airstream	SF	Detroit	6,023,501	6,043,678
	Airstream	SF	Windsor	9,664,001	9,664,636
	Airflow	SG	Detroit	5,082,201	5,088,967
	Airflow	SG	Windsor	9,603,436	9,603,544
1936 menu	Custom Airstream	S1	Detroit	5,500,001	5,517,216
	Custom Airstream	S1	Windsor	9,664,641	9,665,550
	Standard Airstream	S1	Detroit	6,043,701	6,061,693
	Standard Airstream	S1	Windsor	9,699,076	NA
	taxi	S1	Detroit	5,997,501	6,000,000
	taxi	S1	Detroit	6,004,101	6,004,200
	Airflow	S2	Detroit	5,089,001	5,093,971
	Airflow	S2	Windsor	9,603,551	9,603,582
1937 menu	DeSoto	S3	Detroit	5,517,301	5,597,700
	DeSoto		Windsor	9,665,556	9,666,930
	taxi		Detroit	5,094,001	5,094,225
1938 menu	Standard	S5	Detroit	5,598,301	5,632,912
	Standard		Windsor	9,666,936	9,668,604
	Custom		Detroit	6,061,701	6,064,250
	taxi		Detroit	5,095,001	5,095,372
1939 menu	DeLuxe Custom	S6	Detroit	5,634,001	5,687,134
	DeLuxe Custom		Windsor	9,668,606	9,669,922
	taxi		Detroit	5,095,401	5,096,648
1940 menu	Custom	S7	Detroit	5,688,001	5,720,329
	Custom		Windsor	9,393,281	9,394,790
	DeLuxe		Detroit	6,064,301	6,095,930
	taxi		Detroit	5,096,701	5,099,021
1941 menu	DeLuxe	S8-S	Detroit	6,096,001	6,141,720
	Custom	S8-C	Detroit	5,720,401	5,770,981
	Custom	S8-C	Windsor	9,373,196	9,374,393
	taxi	S8	Detroit	5,099,101	5,101,600
1942 menu	DeLuxe	S10-S	Detroit	6,142,001	6,153,101
	Custom	S10-C	Detroit	5,771,001	5,783,503
	Custom	S10-C	Windsor	9,949,051	9,949,461
	taxi	S10	Detroit	5,101,701	5,102,456
1946 menu	DeLuxe	S11-S	Detroit	6,154,001	6,172,862
	Custom	S11-C	Detroit	5,784,001	5,825,784
	Custom	S11-C	Windsor	9,687,626	NA
	taxi	S11	Detroit	5,102,501	5,105,143
1947 menu	DeLuxe	S11-S	Detroit	6,172,863	6,190,367
	Custom	S11-C	Detroit	5,825,785	5,885,815
	taxi	S11	Detroit	5,105,414	5,110,107
1948 menu	DeLuxe	S11-S	Detroit	6,190,370	6,209,494
	Custom	S11-C	Detroit	5,885,816	5,962,601
	Custom	S11-C	Los Angeles	62,001,001	62,003,000
	taxi	S11	Detroit	5,110,108	5,114,100
1949 menu	DeLuxe	S13-S	Detroit	6,212,001	6,232,740
	DeLuxe	S13-S	Los Angeles	60,002,002	60,004,755
	Custom	S13-C	Detroit	50,000,101	50,061,189
	Custom	S13-C	Los Angeles	62,004,001	62,011,187
	taxi	S13	Detroit	5,115,001	5,115,680
1950 menu	DeLuxe	S14-S	Detroit	6,233,501	6,262,653
	DeLuxe	S14-S	Los Angeles	60,005,001	60,009,175
	Custom	S14-C	Detroit	50,062,001	50,148,412
	Custom	S14-C	Los Angeles	62,011,501	62,023,225
	taxi	S14	Detroit	5,116,001	5,118,350
1951 menu	DeLuxe	S15-S	Detroit	6,269,001	6,283,459
	DeLuxe	S15-S	Los Angeles	60,011,001	60,012,889
	Custom	S15-C	Detroit	50,155,001	50,230,003
	Custom	S15-C	Los Angeles	62,024,001	62,032,486
	taxi	S15	Detroit	5,119,001	5,121,266
1952 menu	DeLuxe	S15-S	Detroit	6,283,601	6,288,250
	DeLuxe	S15-S	Los Angeles	60,013,001	60,013,651
	Custom	S15-C	Detroit	50,230,101	50,261,940
	Custom	S15-C	Los Angeles	62,032,601	62,036,371
	taxi	S15	Detroit	5,121,401	5,122,684
	FireDome	S17	Detroit	55,000,001	55,040,155
	FireDome	S17	Los Angeles	64,001,001	64,005,899
1953 menu	FireDome	S16	Detroit	55,050,001	55,127,622
	FireDome	S16	Los Angeles	64,008,001	64,015,691
	Powermaster	S18	Detroit	50,266,001	50,304,981
	Powermaster	S18	Los Angeles	62,039,001	62,042,345
	taxi	S18	Detroit	5,124,001	5,125,711
1954 menu	FireDome	S19	Detroit	55,130,001	55,182,504
	FireDome	S19	Los Angeles	64,017,001	64,020,704
	Powermaster	S20	Detroit	50,306,001	50,322,514
	Powermaster	S20	Los Angeles	62,043,001	62,043,897
	taxi	S20	Detroit	5,126,001	5,128,005
1955 menu	Fireflite	S21	Detroit	50,330,001	55,364,093
	Fireflite	S21	Los Angeles	64,045,001	62,047,586
	Firedome	S22	Detroit	55,185,001	55,256,392
	Firedome	S22	Los Angeles	64,022,001	64,026,847
	taxi	S20	Detroit	5,130,001	NA
1956 menu	Firedome	S23	Detroit	55,258,001	55,329,506
	Firedome	S23	Los Angeles	64,028,001	64,034,406
	Fireflite	S24	Detroit	50,366,001	50,392,114
	Fireflite	S24	Los Angeles	62,048,001	62,051,424
	Adventurer	S24	Detroit	50,366,001	50,392,114
1957 menu	Firedome	S25	Detroit	55,332,001	NA
	Firedome	S25	Los Angeles	64,035,005	NA
	Fireflite	S26	Detroit	50,306,001	NA
	Fireflite	S26	Los Angeles	62,053,001	NA
	Adventurer	S26A	Detroit	50,396,001	NA
	Firesweep	KDS	Detroit	58,001,001	NA
	Firesweep	KDS	Los Angeles	60,014,001	NA
1958 menu	Firesweep	LS1-L	Detroit	LS1-1001	NA
	Firesweep	LS1-L	Los Angeles	LS1L-1001	NA
	Firedome	LS2-M	Detroit	LS2-1001	NA
	Firedome	LS2-M	Los Angeles	LS2L-1001	NA
	Fireflite	LS3-H	Detroit	LS3-1001	NA
	Fireflite	LS3-H	Los Angeles	LS3L-1001	NA
	Adventurer	LS3-S	Detroit	LS3-1001	NA
1959 menu	Firesweep	MS1-L	Detroit	M412-100001	NA
	Firesweep		Los Angeles	M414-100001	NA
	Firesweep wagon		Detroit	M471-100001	NA
	Firedome	MS2-M	Detroit	M43-100001	NA
	Fireflite	MS3-H	Detroit	M451-100001	NA
	Adventurer	MS3-S	Detroit	M491-100001	NA
1960 menu	Fireflite	PS1-L	Detroit	7103-100001	NA
1960 menu	Adventurer	PS3-M	Detroit	7203-100001	NA
1961 menu	DeSoto	RS1-L	Detroit	6113-100001	NA

S O U R C E S :
Catalog of American Car ID Numbers 1950-59. Sidney, Ohio: Amos Press, 1993.
Catalog of American Car ID Numbers 1960-69. Sidney, Ohio: Amos Press, 1989.
Gnorksi, John. "DeSoto Serial and Engine Numbers." DeSoto Adventures, July-August, 1999.
Gunnell, John, ed. The Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1946-1975. 2nd ed. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1987.
Kimes, Beverly Rae, Clark, Jr., Henry Austin. The Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1805-1942. 2nd ed. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1989.
Lee, John, ed. The Standard Catalog of Chrysler: 1929-1990. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1990.
Restorer's Guide. 8th edition, Detroit, Michigan: Chrysler Historical Collection, 1985.