Milestone Car: 1935 Chrysler Airflow Coupe
The history of the automobile is littered with cars that were revolutionary for their time. However, no vehicle was more of a game changer than Chrysler’s Airflow. Introduced in 1934, these radical vehicles broke new ground in the areas of unibody construction, weight distribution, and aerodynamics. The problem was the public was not receptive to such a radical departure from ordinary cars and sales floundered. With the benefit of hindsight, cars like this 1935 Chrysler Airflow coupe for sale on Craigslist in Santa Barbara, California have become quite collectible. At an asking price of $19,800, is this house paint-finished Airflow priced right given the amount of work it needs? Thanks go to reader T.J. for this Art Deco find!
The Chrysler Corporation built its reputation on engineering. Early on, Walter P. Chrysler built an engineering team based around a trio of men called The Three Musketeers. Frederick Breder, Carl Breer, and Owen Skelton were three mechanical engineers that first worked together at Studebaker. Recognizing their incredible talent, Walter P. Chrysler hired them to work with him at Willys Overland. Then, when he left that company to found his own, Chrysler hired them to run the engineering side. That trust was instrumental in the company gaining ground in a very competitive market.
Innovations such as wind tunnels used for automotive designs, floating power rubber engine mounts, and actual testing of cars and their components helped to build an unflappable trust between the boss and his engineers. When let off the leash, their work lead them to change the way a car was designed and built. In the early 1930s, they began work on a vehicle that would encompass everything they had learned about aerodynamics, weight distribution, handling, and, most importantly, unibody construction. The expectation was that this car would be so advanced that it would result in huge sales.
When the Airflow debuted under both the Chrysler and DeSoto banners, it was anything but a sales success. Despite the car being orders of magnitude safer and having design elements that would take the rest of the industry a decade or more to catch up with, it was the unusual styling that drove customers away. It was considered a flop, and more conventional vehicles in the lineup were produced in much larger numbers than planned to stave off financial disaster. The last Airflow was built in 1937. The Three Musketeers must have had trouble understanding how it was never the success they thought it would be.
Decades later, Airflows are highly sought-after vehicles for people who want a safe, reliable tour car and those who understand its historical significance. Most desirable are the Chrysler versions due to the inline eight-cylinder powerplants and the inclusion of an overdrive. DeSoto versions are a bit smaller and have the reliable Mopar inline-six under the hood. While they are complex vehicles that can be pricey to restore, features such as flow-through ventilation, a smooth ride, and the ability to safely run with modern traffic all explain why Airflow owners drive their cars a lot. Classic status for Airflow Imperial Eights doesn’t hurt either.
The 1935 Chrysler coupe you see here is one of the most desirable models. Airflow coupes of this vintage have approached low six-figure prices at auctions for pristine examples. The car you see here is far from that condition. However, under the housepaint lies a car that appears to be quite restorable. The seller doesn’t give us many details. We are told that it is in running and driving condition if the trips are kept short. Seat covers have been added, the tires will need to be replaced, and some of the paint is original to the car.
A closer look at the pictures shows some dents and bruises in the fenders and the usual wear and tear of 88 years since it left the dealership for the first time. While it runs and drives now, any venture into making it presentable enough for shows would lead the new owner down a rabbit hole of restoration. It wouldn’t be an easy restoration, but the result would give you a mid-thirties car that is head and shoulders above all others as far as driving experiences go. If you get in any trouble, the Airflow Club of America can help you find parts or provide any information you need.
At a $19,800 asking price, this Airflow is a bargain. It is all on one piece, it runs and drives to an extent, it has the right body style to command higher prices, and all appearances are that it has hibernated in a Southern California garage for decades. It would be a big project to restore it correctly, but this should be on your shortlist if you want to drive and enjoy a car of this vintage. The Three Musketeers built an incredible car. It is just a shame that it took the hindsight of history to see just how good it was for the time.
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Comments
I have always loved these cars. That 3/4 rear view looks like something out of a Betty Boop cartoon.
One of our members in our car club here in California owns a 1935 Chrysler Imperial eight passenger Limo in No. One condition. It is restored to absolute original condition. It has won several first class wins in very competitive concours contests. I love to ride in it whenever possible. He has turned down several six figure offers . It is part of a large collection of fully restored classics.
Great car that was so far ahead of anything being produced then and even quite a few years after. They rolled this car and subjected it to several abusive tests and drive it away. Safety and advanced design, but didn’t fit with the norm. By the way it’s gone and more than a fair price in my opinion.
As a fan of streamlined cars, I’ve always wanted an Airflow coupe, It’s the only production car to come close to one of the other cars I want; a 1934-35 Tatra T-77.
This car was sold very fast because it was way underpriced.
You tube has videos about the testing. Pushing one down a hill rolling it over several times and remaining intact. I don’t think anyone was in it.
Considering a 1934 Ford sedan cost about $575, while the Airflow was listed at $1,245, means one could buy 2 Fords for the same price as the Chrysler and have $95 left for 500 gallons of fuel at $0.19 per gallon. So the radically higher fuel mileage of 21+ mpg, compared to the Ford’s 14 mpg made little difference, as wealthy automobile purchasers cared little for fuel efficiency.
I wonder if Chrysler had built a coupe, with less luxury – say as a Dodge – and marketed it to the working man of the Great Depression, who was more cost conscious, that perhaps sales would’ve been boosted? We’ll never know.
Considering a 1934 Ford sedan cost about $575, while the Airflow was listed at $1,245, means one could buy 2 Fords for the same price as the Chrysler and have $95 left for 500 gallons of fuel at $0.19 per gallon. So the radically higher fuel mileage of 21+ mpg, compared to the Ford’s 14 mpg made little difference, as wealthy automobile purchasers cared little for fuel efficiency.
I wonder if Chrysler had built a smaller coupe, with less luxury – say as a Dodge – and marketed it to the working man of the Great Depression, who was more cost conscious, that perhaps sales would’ve been boosted? We’ll never know.
*edited: at the time I commented, I thought this Airflow was a 4-dr sedan.
Jeff–
Great write-up, but it was Frederick Zeder, the first member of the Three Musketeers. Actually, Carl Breer was the mastermind behind the Airflow. He was returning from an outing and saw some planes landing at Selfridge Field, which got him thinking about aerodynamics. The Trifon Special followed and then ZSB sold Walter P on the idea of making the Airflow a production vehicle. GM started a smear campaign (what a surprise) against the Airflow……..there was no wood in the frame, and GM claimed that “steel was not enough!” Yeah…….in addition to the tin worm, you had to worry about wood rot. Chrysler actually rolled one off of a cliff in Pennsylvania and drove it away. It didn’t help the public perception of the car, and neither did the delays in production, which happened while manufacturing and engineering tried to work the bugs out of the design while the cars were coming down the line.
I’d love to have this Airflow…they’re a pain to restore because a lot of the parts are Airflow specific. The Imperial CV coupe from 1934 is about the rarest of the rare, but this one would fit the bill. It would be expensive and time consuming to restore, but, if done right, the car would be a show stopper wherever it went…….
SaabGirl900,
Thanks for the additional info, no surprise about the GM smear campaign.
In the late 1960s, a local Maryland Chrysler collector found a 1934 Imperial CV coupe in what could be best described as a swamp, after getting stuck there many years previous. I was there helping him and several other volunteers, as we attempted to extract that poor car. We shoveled wet soil from around the wheels, lower body sections, and chassis. on pulling the front of the car with a winch, both the center rail sections of the frame broke apart. So we ended up winching the car out using 2 tow trucks, with 2X6 boards bolted onto the chassis rails to keep what was left of the frame & body together. Last I saw it, the Imperial coupe was sitting in a former dairy barn, while he tried to find a replacement rolling chassis. Always wondered what happened to that VERY rare car.
Delicious Nostalgia for those that (as miself) were borned many years after those magnificent cars were built
Bill–
What a sad end to a once brilliant and beautiful car! If I remember correctly, there were only 237 CV coupes made and I think only 2 or 3 are known to exist.
Indeed……..whenever GM feels threatened, they pull out their bag of dirty tricks. Ralph Nader could relate.
I’d love to have an Airflow….the earlier ones looked better, in my opinion, but they do have a tendency to eat a hole in your wallet. Plus, it would displace two of the Saabs currently living in the barn, and the garage, lower barn and paper garage are all full of Saabs……..
SaabGirl900,
You want an Airflow to restore? I just watched a YouTube video last night,
About 16 minutes into the video is a 99% complete 1934 Airflow, and it looks like it’s very restorable! The narrator said everything is for sale.
I’m including a screen shot of the car and the YouTube info. The only reason I’m not heading to Iowa right now is I’m too damn old to tackle another restoration, or I wouldn’t be telling, as I’ve always wanted an Airflow!
Bill–
Thanks!!! I’d love to have it, but I have a barn and a garage full of Saabs that need restoration…….I have to put a gearbox in the Viggen and a new top on the C900 ‘vert just as a start. Those are the easy ones…….the SPG needs floors and the ’83 900 needs a quarter.
If I could weld, I’d have no rusty Saabs!!!