Let’s join Mr. DeSoto himself, Groucho Marx, as he presents an exciting new feature for 1952: power steering. 

In the history of the car biz, few celebrity pitchmen are as thoroughly identified with their products as Groucho Marx. When folks think of Groucho they just naturally think of DeSoto, and vice versa. Star of the classic Marx Brothers movies and host of the zany ’50s quiz show, You Bet Your Life, as well as a DeSoto spokesman, Groucho is such a beloved figure that we can’t resist featuring him here whenever we get the chance. The Desoto division of the Chrysler Corporation probably felt the same way when it came time to introduce an important new feature for 1952: power steering. Clearly, there was only one man for the job.

There were two major stories at DeSoto in ’52: The brand’s first V8 engine, the 160-hp Firedome Eight (read about the DeSoto hemi here) and Chrysler’s Full Power Steering. The system, introduced on the flagship Imperial line one year earlier, then on Chrysler and DeSoto for 1952, was an important advance for the automaker, and it no doubt burnished Chrysler’s reputation in those days as an engineering leader. At 3800 lbs and more than 200 inches long, the ’52 DeSoto was far from petite, but with power steering (a $199 option) parallel parking was now a one-finger exercise. For drivers of smaller stature, it was nearly like magic. “It’s as easy as dialing a phone,” Groucho exclaims, repeating the official DeSoto slogan. (Remember when telephones had dials, boomers?) Here’s Groucho with the complete pitch.