This neat little film clip sends us down the production lines with the 1937 DeSoto. It’s an interesting journey, so come along.

There’s plenty to talk about at the DeSoto division of Chrysler Corporation for 1937, as illustrated in this fine little film segment:

+   The film spends some quality time with an important innovation of the period, the one-piece all-metal roof stamping. Enabled by the introduction of the 76-inch hot rolling mill a few years earlier, the one-piece top required upgrades throughout the manufacturing process, from presses to railcars, but it was worth it. The all-steel top reduced costs and improved quality at the same time—a rare accomplishment in the car biz.

+  In 1937, DeSoto was climbing its way out of the Airflow debacle of 1934-1936 with a more conventionally styled product line. The Chrysler and DeSoto Airflow models offered many advanced features, but for whatever reasons the public refused to come along and sales plummeted.

+   With the Airflow cancelled and DeSoto focused on a single model, sales recovered nicely, from 40,000 units in 1936 to more than 82,000 in 1937. DeSoto perpetually struggled to carve out its place in the Chrysler product line, but now the brand’s future was secured for some years to come.

It’s also worth noting all the manpower in view in the production line footage. In the 1930s, auto manufacturing was a labor-intensive process, and there are people everywhere. It’s a very different scene, compared to today’s highly automated assembly plants.  Video below.