Total production for the 1934 DeSoto Airflow was 13,940 units in the four body styles offered. But production glitches delayed deliveries, and when sales failed to meet expectations, Breer blamed those delays and technical problems for the car’s poor market performance. The Airflow was introduced at the New York National Auto Show in January 1934 to celebrate Chrysler’s 10th anniversary, and the car “That Literally Bores a Hole through the Air” was initially ordered by the thousands. In effect, it was much safer overall package than the outgoing model. The multiple-piece hood was also eliminated, replaced with a once-piece unit. Thus, the car’s center of gravity and the floor of the passenger compartment were lowered. The engine was also moved so it was over rather than behind the front axle. The first steps included reshaping the body and relocating the rear seat ahead of the rear axle. Looking down from his fourth floor Chrysler Building window, Breer observed, “All those cars in the parking lot have been running in the wrong direction.”īreer and his staff determined that a teardrop design generated the least wind resistance. On the advice of Orville Wright, a wind tunnel was built, and it demonstrated that a contemporary automobile was 30% more efficient when driven backwards. This prompted Breer to investigate the effects of air resistance on an automobile. It has often been stated that the inspiration for the Airflow originated from Chrysler designer Carl Breer mistaking a flock of geese for a squadron of airplanes and observing the difficulties an airplane has in pushing itself through the air. This car, Lot 215, sold for $52,250, including buyer’s premium, at the RM Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa auction on January 20, 2012. Upper left side of cylinder block betweenġ934–36 Chrysler Airflow, 1936 Cord 810 Sedan, 1932–34 Auburn Custom/Salon Twelve Coupe The stylish “waterfall” grille accents this unique - but short-lived - modern marvel. It is finished in silver with the correct brown cloth interior and is show-ready. This example is one of the few to have been restored. Of them, reportedly only 15 are known to have survived. Introduced at the height of the Great Depression, only 1,520 DeSoto coupes were built in 1934. There was also a rounded radiator grille and a modified veeshaped windshield, further styling features that set this car apart from anything ever seen on American shores.Īlthough a truly unique car for the time, the Airflow was not widely accepted.
1934 DESOTO AIRFLOW COUPE FULL
The hood was extended past the front axle, and the rear fenders had full fender skirts. A design far ahead of its time, the Airflow featured built-in headlamps and wider front seats that could accommodate three adults abreast. Chrysler expected the streamlined and futuristic Airflow models to take the nation by storm and reap huge profits. In 1934, the entire DeSoto lineup featured Chrysler Corporation’s new streamlined Airflow design.
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