DeSoto Automobile Emblem, 1925-1935

Chrysler launched its DeSoto division in 1928. Customers bought more than 80,000 DeSoto cars in that first year -- a sales record for a new brand at the time. Chrysler positioned DeSoto between its low-price Plymouth and upscale Chrysler nameplates. DeSoto sales experienced a sharp decline in the late 1950s, and Chrysler closed the brand after the 1961 model year.