History Chrysler Airflow: One tough car!

Chrysler did their engineering homework when they introduced the all new Airflow in 1934. The aircraft-inspired car had a steel skeleton unibody chassis, wind tunnel tested bodywork, safety glass on all windows, and superior weight distribution (alon... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

 

I love that clip where the drive it off the cliff. The US Military bought a bunch of them after the saw that. If you look closely though it looks like Chrysler loaded that cliff with sand or something soft for the front end wouldn't bash in. I think there is another clip out there that they used to prove to the military that they could withstand cliff jumping.

 

Airflows are so cool..I've always liked the designs that were so ahead of thier time people weren't ready..A couple of guys have built up these cars and made the magazines, one of them was a fenderless highboy? please dreg up some pictures....

 

hmm rare indeed
how many were built
how many were sold
how many survive

lets cut some up


I had tailites from one about twenty years ago I could not ID them at the time.... I wish still had em now

 

I want to drive across the country for less than $35. I better buy an Airflow!

 

OOOoooOOOOO! I wanna shoot out my tires and race!

 

If you can find one they are priced out of reach, even a restored airflow pedal car is 3 thousand or more.

 

One sold at the same auction where I bought my 56 New Yorker. It went for well over $14K, and while it was a fairly rust-free car, it wasn't running, and needed some work. The gauges in the Airflows are beautiful. see attachments.

 

Those things are crazy cool and not just because I like old MOPARS. There was one, I think a warmed-over barn find, sold awhile back at BJ auction. It went for for serious $$$$.

 

A week after I bought my Flxible hearse online, the same salvage yard had a hull of an Airflow up for sale......DAMMIT!! Woulda' made a cool lawn ornament!

 

nice chop!!!

 

My Pops bought one of those back in the day when he was a single gent. He was telling me about how good they were, and how "ahead of their time" they were. When I was a kid I just thought they were fugly, and so did most people, I guess, cuz they didn't sell. If he had kept it, it would have been cool to see it anyway.

 

I too love the Airflows. They were ahead of their time in every aspect. I dig the styling of them, they were unique and different.

Here's a passage from "Design for Business" by J. Gordon Lippincott 1947


"The 1934 Chrysler Airflow was the automotive industry's classic example of reaching ahead of consumer acceptance in style. This car was superbly engineered and excellent in performance, yet its sales were low because it reached ahead of consumer expectation. The experience of this car has caused all manufacturers to style in common trend - seeking only gradual step by step improvement"


Can you imagine if this car hit it off with the public during its debut? Automotive design would be much different. Imagine where we would be now

Dave Riley, a member of Down East Street Rods, just finished up an Airflow, done it in retro-rod style. Turned out pretty nice. I'll try to find some pictures.

-Josh

 

Jive-Bomber Jay - Cool post! - Cool Videos!



Here's another Airflow @ Bonneville ... Ed Hegarty & Dave Dozier's #404 XX/VGC '34 DeSoto Airflow (which ran a supercharged '39 Chrysler 323ci Straight 8 flathead):

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... and yes, this is the same car that Cub Barnett built engines for (after Dave passed away ) ... checkout the Chrysler Straight 8 and the Cub Barnett - DeSoto Straight 8 threads.

 

I had my 1934 Chrysler Airflow for 12 years.It was a four door sedan CU.I found a friend of mine a CU coupe like in the first picture.He is hoping to have it done next year with a 392 hemi.His will be more of a Sreet Rod so some of you wont like it.My car used Cordoba torion bar front suspenion,8 3/4 rear,318 engine and 727 trans.One of the best driving cars i have ever owned.I drove it in gray primer but the friend who has it now painted it two tone green.Chrysler actually had a lot of cars presold before they came out.Being a unibody car the factory had trouble assembling them and they came out later then they hoped.Chevy and Ford advertised the car unsafe and that is why they came out late.Most buyers then canceled thier orders.You can see the Airflow influenece in the later 30s cars.If i can figure how to post pics again i will try to post some.

 

I bought a 36 Airflow sedan for 150.00 in 1958, drove it off the property. Sold the car to an Airflow collector who was a friend of my Dad for 1800.00 and thought I had climbed the mountain. Used the money to buy my 49 Olds bubble top coupe and thought I was pretty smart. Not! Wow, that salt flat car is beynd sweet, would love to hear that blown flathead run. Killer ~Sololobo~

 

Did someone say pictures? I have some details here, for some reason the whole car shots got lost but what I have is, well, you be the judge:

 

Beautiful cars. Stunning design. Always liked them.

 

I have always loved those things! But then again, I have a thing for fugly cars...

 

The irony is the VW Beetle is a downsized knockoff of the Airflow, and look how many of those damn things they sold. (look at the side profile of an early VW compared to an Airflow 2dr and you tell me) -

 

I test drove a stocker for NZ Classic Car magazine many moons ago and was amazed at how 'modern' the ride and handling were - more like a 1950s car than something from the '30s. Definitely cool, IMHO.

 

I came across one in a guys backyard the other day. Its complete except the starter and the headlight trim. There is an extra dash and gauges in the Austin parked beside it. Its pretty rusty though.

 

I got to drive the one in the Walter P. Chrysler museum when the museum opened several years ago.
That car was EASILY 20 years ahead of its time... my daily driver was a 38,000 original mile '54 Buick at the time, and the two cars felt and handled so similarly it was amazing. Overdrive trans, full-width body, unibody construction.... it was about as far from a '34 Chevy or Ford as you could get. It truly was like driving a mid '50s car.

-Brad

 

ive never in my life seen one in person.

 

heard that the ''rolling down the cliff'' shot was altered for the clip.Not the same car drove away,

 

Come on now. They wouldn't do something like that back then would they? I do see they put some nice soft fresh dirt down for the fall, but that's just a little bit of cheating.

 

My father says one of these was his first car. But he thought it wasn't a very good car,he had to put main bearings and crankshafts in it too many times!.......Hey, he wouldn't been hotroddin' it would he? Normal norman

 

To my knowledge there are 12 remaining in stock form. If that's true, then you'll have to decide Jive-Bomber; do you want to see one in its original form or cut them up? There's no going back when you're down to numbers this low. Will your kids ever see one stock?

I had this argument w/Brennan @ Street Rodder a few years ago. He called me names because I was defending the cutting up of the remaining 12 cars. Oh well, "sticks and stones...."

Chad

 

Aside from all the innovation, I love the lines on these cars.

Here's a DeSoto from the Toyota Auto Museum in Nagoya.