1948 Desoto Custom Convertible. In December 1974 Daryl Hemken discovered and purchased this 1948 Desoto Custom convertible in Cleveland, Ohio. Driving it back home he had to stop often because the car had a leaky gas tank. He found he could only get the tank to hold five gallons at a time, so stops were frequent and the journey was slow. Desoto sold 8,100 convertibles in 1948 and this one still sports its original 237ci L-head straight six engine with Desoto's innovative Fluid Drive system. That system, introduced by Desoto in 1939, allows the car to be held stationary in any gear without disengaging the clutch for the three-speed manual transmission. This example isn't currently running, but is complete, just as Daryl Hemken found it back in 1974.