1957 DeSoto Adventurer

Virgil Exner revolutionized mid-century styling with Chrysler Corporation's Forward Look, and the limited-production 1957 DeSoto Adventurer was arguably its most theatrical expression. Tall, blade-sharp tailfins swept upward from the mid-body, culminating in stacked triple taillights that made competitor fins look timid. Exner accented the dramatic rear quarters with broad sweeps of gold-anodized aluminum sheet metal, echoing the custom styling of European coachbuilders. Beneath the low hood lurked a 345-cubic-inch Hemi V8 breathing through dual four-barrel carburetors, delivering an impressive 345 horsepower. Offering blistering straight-line speed wrapped in space-race drama, the Adventurer defined late-fifties high style.