DeSoto Airflow
Series SE/SG/S-2 | |
---|---|
DeSoto Airstream | |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 241.5 cu in (4.0 L) Chrysler I6 |
Transmission | 3-speed manual |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 115.5 in (2,934 mm) |
Chronology | |
Successor | cancelled without replacement |
The DeSoto Airflow is a
The Desoto Airflow was a result of
Airflow streamlining
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/1934_DeSoto_Airflow_%283803228581%29.jpg/220px-1934_DeSoto_Airflow_%283803228581%29.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/35_DeSoto_SG_Airflow_Business_Coupe_%289346286008%29.jpg/220px-35_DeSoto_SG_Airflow_Business_Coupe_%289346286008%29.jpg)
In addition to the benefits of its smoother exterior design, which translated into a quieter passenger compartment than on previous DeSoto models, the car featured wider front seats and deeper back seats with more leg room.[1] Passengers sat on seats which were a good distance from either axle. They reminded one of a Victorian era davenport (sofa).[5]
Because of the car's unibody construction, passengers rode within the frame of the car, not on top of the frame as they did with most other American makes. It also boasted a stiffer body and better weight distribution through the engine placement over the front wheels, in contrast to the common practice of placing the center of the engine's gravity just behind the front wheels. The automotive press gave the cars positive reviews for their handling and acceleration.
Marketing failure
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/1934_DeSoto_Airflow_%285986899149%29.jpg/220px-1934_DeSoto_Airflow_%285986899149%29.jpg)
DeSoto (and Chrysler) touted all of its Airflow bodies as "futuristic" in an age of streamlining, but the public found the cars to be too different in a time of
Interest in the Airflow was strong when it was introduced. Unfilled orders for it totaled 15,580 on April 30, 1934. This was 48.3% of comparable Chrysler and DeSoto shipments in 1933.[6]
In May 1936 the DeSoto Airflow began to be promoted in some 435 newspapers in the United States. The highly streamlined car was advertised together with more traditional Airstream cars in general magazines and by itself in class magazines. The DeSoto advertising account was managed by J. Sterling Getchell.[7]
Rumors persisted that the Airflow's body was unsafe. Tests showed its all-steel uni-body construction safer than those of other cars made at the time (most automotive manufacturers still used
While Chrysler still built a more familiar-looking car in 1934, DeSoto only offered the Airflow. Despite DeSoto selling more Airflows than Chrysler, Chrysler sold more cars overall with the majority being the redesign of the 1933 "regular" Chrysler.
For 1935 and 1936, Chrysler added the more traditional
Those buyers who did choose the Airflow found that their models carried a more prominent peaked grille design. Other than cosmetic changes (hood louvers, etc.) the cars remained unchanged.
While Chrysler continued to use the Airflow body through 1937, Chrysler discontinued the DeSoto Airflow in 1936 and focused on the
See also
- DeSoto Airstream
- Chrysler Airflow
- Toyota AA
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ a b c d The Standard Catalog of American Cars (1905 - 1945), Beverly R. Kimes and Henry A. Clark, editors, Kraus Publications, 1996.
- ^ Reflections on automotive history, Volume 1, Eramosa Valley Publications, 1994, pg. 32.
- ISBN 0-87341-428-4.
- ^ "A Clear View: History of Automotive Safety Glass". Second Chance Garage. Second Chance Garage, LLC. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ The Big Book of Car Culture: The Armchair Guide To Automotive Americana, Jim Hinckley and John G. Robinson, MotorBooks International, 2005, pg. 104.
- ^ Big Gain In Quarter Made By Chrysler, The New York Times, May 4, 1934, pg. 31.
- ^ Advertising News and Notes, The New York Times, May 20, 1936, pg. 32.