1935 Chrysler Airflow
edited by David Barth, 30 January 2009.
Courtesy The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Photos were taken in January 2009.
Sponsor and statement by: Kermit J. Pike
"During the summer of 1980, Ken Gooding, then director of the Crawford Museum, talked me into driving this Chrysler to
the annual car meet at Stan Hywet in Akron, Ohio. He wanted the museum to be represented at this event and needed someone
to get the car there. I was not an antique car buff at the time, but I was flattered to be asked, so I agreed. My wife,
Joyce, and our children, Chris and Laura, joined me for the day. The outbound trip and the meet were uneventful on that
very hot and muggy Sunday afternoon. However, the trip home was memorable. A thunderstorm hit us on the freeway back to
the museum. The dainty windshield wipers were no match for the pouring rain. Even worse, age had taken its toll on the
seals around the windshield and they were no longer effective. As a consequence, the water seemed to shoot into the car,
causing us all to get a good soaking. We'll never forget that ride home."
Walter P. Chrysler was the last American to found an automobile company that still survives. He was a self-made man who
worked for Buick, becoming president by 1919. That year he left to pursue other business opportunities. In 1924, he began
to produce cars under his own name. This automobile was extremely successful and set a new, first-year sales record. In
1928, Chrysler bought Dodge and introduced the Plymouth and DeSoto, providing a greater variety of automobiles. By 1929,
five years after its founding, Chrysler Corporation was behind only General Motors and Ford in American automotive
production and sales.
In 1934, the "Airflow" was a unique design that was intended to be aerodynamic. This design did not appeal to the
American public. Sales dropped and Chrysler went back to the drawing board and in 1935, the "Airstream" was unveiled.
This design was a more conservative version of the Airflow. With little success, Chrysler dropped the design completely
in 1937. In 1964, this particular vehicle was displayed in Sorts Illustrated's "Cavalcade of the Car" at the International
Auto Show in New York. While on display, it was selected as "on e of the most significant mileposts in the history of
automotive design." This car won first prize at many car meets in the 1960s and has been recognized by the Airflow Club
as the best original 1935 Airflow known to exist.
Model: Airflow Imperial, Series C-2
Body Style: 6-passenger Sedan
Original Factory Price: $1,700
Brake Horsepower: 130
Displacement: 323.5 cubic inches
Bore: 3 1/4 inches
Stroke: 4 7/8 inches
Cylinders: 8, in-line
Wheelbase: 128 inches
Manufacturer: Chrysler Corporation
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Donor: Hardy and Imogen Trolander
