How many DeSoto Firedomes are left in New Zealand?
Super rare 1 in 519,430 on the road Built 1953-1959 American
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
The model that brought V8 power to DeSoto. Launched for 1952, the Firedome was named after its new hemispherical-head V8, a smaller relative of the Chrysler Hemi. It started as the top DeSoto and moved to the middle of the range as the Fireflite and Adventurer arrived above it.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1956: 5 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 1 |
| 1955 | 1 |
| 1956 | 5 |
| 1959 | 2 |
What Super rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 9 still registered, the DeSoto Firedome is Super rare: the grade for cars with 5 to 24 left.
By how many are left it ranks equal 3rd of the 11 DeSoto models and equal 2,014th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.