1948 DeSoto Suburban S-11 Limousine Chrysler Dodge Cadillac Lincoln

1948 DeSoto Suburban limousine Description

I purchased this 1948 DeSoto Suburban 20 years ago in Tucson, Arizona. I am lifelong car collector and have had my own restoration facility since 1973 having overseen over 50 body-off-frame restorations and a great many general restorations for a variety of people and two celebrities. I know authenticity, originality and quality when I see it. This DeSoto is fully restored and is an authentic original car that has had a quality restoration using proper parts and materials from some of the best suppliers in the industry. But more about this car first.

DeSotos’ and me as a boy

As a boy traveling with my family, I remember the excitement of arriving in big cities by air and train and riding to the hotels and around town in long wheelbase DeSoto taxis. Before I was 10, most of these old style DeSoto taxis were replaced with a variety of makes of regular wheelbase cabs, which lacked the excitement of the 140 inch wheelbase DeSoto S11s. I never saw a DeSoto Suburban until I was an adult and was awestruck with beautiful mixes of woods and materials. It has the excitement of the old taxis, but greatly enhanced with a great deal of elegance. I vowed to have one. Now I’ve had the excitement of restoring a Suburban but there are more cars in the pipeline and I will move on.

DeSoto serial no. 5906787 history

This vehicle, serial number 5906787, has a documented history that tells a story of care and preservation and has a great deal of provenance. It was sold new to Randolf Bohrer, 33 N. Lasalle St, Chicago by Sandra Motors at 711 West Jackson Blvd, Chicago 6, Ill. It appears that Mr. Bohrer was either a well known Chicago lawyer. His address of 33 N. Lasalle St. is a magnificent art deco office building, still pristine today. It is my guess that this prominent Chicago lawyer bought this car new to use in his law practice as a “company” vehicle in and around Chicago. His office in the 42 story building built in 1928, “33 N Lasalle” is landmark in Chicago across from City Hall.

By 1957 the DeSoto resided in Montana and not long after, found its’ way to Arizona where I discovered the car in 1999. The documents show four owners before I bought the car, owners who never exposed the Suburban to anything destructive. (Note: funny thing, look at the spelling of the word “Suburban” on the Owner’s Policy as “Suberben”). It has 81,000 original miles as certified on the title. All documents and other owners’ photographs go with the car.

HISTORY OF CONDITION

The history of good care and preservation is apparent in the car itself: it has no rust as evidenced in a very solid floor revealed in a photo, no evidence of any physical damage anywhere and all of its’ original components were intact enough to properly match the materials, including the headliner, carpet, upholstery.

Forensic research reveals the original materials used in this car

Some of the leading suppliers of proper restoration materials were used in this car: Mopar specialist, Andy Bernbaum Auto Parts