GTP Cool Wall: 1934-1937 Chrysler Airflow

1934-1937 Chrysler Airflow

  • Total voters
    109
  • Poll closed .
White & Nerdy

White & Nerdy

4,209
United States
Wasilla, AK
1934-1937 Chrysler Airflow nominated by Adamgp

1024px-1934_Chrysler_Airflow_sdn_-_blue_-_fvl.jpg


Stats:
Production: 1934-1937
Style: 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan
Engine: 299 ci/4,900 cc naturally aspirated SV inline-8 (rated 122 HP & ??? lb-ft), 324 ci/5,301 cc naturally aspirated SV inline-8 (rated 130 HP & 250 lb-ft)
Transmission: 3-speed manual
Layout: Front-engine, Rear-drive
Related: DeSoto Airflow​

A six-cylinder model was available in Canada, but was effectivelyl a DeSoto variant with Chrysler stuff on it.

My take? Interesting car, and also a respectable early experiment with aerodynamics.

But it has only 24.9 or 24.5 HP/L depending on which engine it's using. So, therefore, Seriously Uncool.

On a more serious note, these types of cars, from a modern perspective, tend to attract the kind of people who want every single thing on their car, right down to the air in the tires, to be exact factory original numbers matching and whatever (which I suspect of being the reason car people are percieved as uncool), which dings its coolness level somewhat.

So, not sure.
 
Straight 8s are sub zero.

This car isn't the most interesting to look at given te time though so a simple cool does the trick. Loses point for the ugly grill as well.
 
White & Nerdy
a respectable early experiment with aerodynamics.
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Who are you, and what have you done with W&N? :lol:

White & Nerdy
But it has only 24.9 or 24.5 HP/L depending on which engine it's using. So, therefore, Seriously Uncool.
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When talking about period steam locomotives, it's kind of unfair to complain that they don't go 250 mph. As with period cars and hp/l. One of the fastest cars of the time, the Bentley 8-liter, made only 220 hp from eight liters, and that's with an exotic four-valve per cylinder motor with twin-spark ignition and alloy internals.

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Granted, collectibility is an issue with old cars, but these cars predate numbers-matching silliness (that's mostly with 60s-70s American iron), and most of the time, rebuilding a car this old means building new parts from scratch. Also, looking at auction prices, it's not too expensive for such a historic car... depending on how readily you can part with 60-100k dollars... :lol:

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I like it. Way ahead of its time, thus, a commercial flop. But in hindsight, it's a stunning view of the direction the automotive industry could have gone if it were a little more open-minded. Aerodynamic, low-slung, and with near 50:50 weight distribution with a load of passengers. Yes, the looks were challenging, but if we'd gone down this road nearly 80 years ago, imagine how different the automotive landscape would have been...

Subzero.
 
When i see it, it tells me: Al Capone meets the Citroen 2CV. That's awesome.

If it's okay to have a name like Airflow in the 30s, and it's not okay to have a name like Wind today, it's a straight up cool.

Imagine the fart jokes if it was rebooted. Or even bad stomach jokes :yuck:
 
I'm generally not a fan of Pre-War cars, and this particular one lacks the grace of other cars of the time. However, it was experimenting with aerodynamics before most people cared, and that's pretty cool in itself. I'll give it a high cool.
 
I will admit right from the off that I have next to no interest in cars that were made before about 1950. I therefore know nothing about this particular vehicle apart from what I can gather here about it dabbling into aero.

It looks cool, so it'll get a low Cool.
 
1930's streamlining gave rise to some of the coolest car designs, and the Airflow fits that trend. Not quite Sub Zero since I don't consider it among the more appealing examples from that era. The awkward front grill is something I struggle to get over.
 
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But it has only 24.9 or 24.5 HP/L depending on which engine it's using. So, therefore, Seriously Uncool.
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....

Anyhew.

It's looks kinda goofy, but it has the serious 30's art deco vibe. Also, with a straight 8 you basically can't go wrong. Very high cool.

👍
 
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Sub Zero.

This car was decades ahead of it's time. Not only with the integrated fender design, but it also featured unibody construction, (almost everything else at the time was ladder frame) and it had near 50/50 weight distribution. (53/47 IIRC, at a time when most cars had a heavy rear weight bias, 60%+)
 
I'm sorry, but I can't give this one anything higher than uncool. I like a lot of cars from this era...they have a certain look that is cool. But this one...? No. The front just utterly kills it.
 
To... people. Try and compare this thing to anything made in 1934. This wasn't part of the art decó movement of Europe that everyone seems to be refering to when replying, because by 1934 it barely existed! The airflow was never meant to be an "art decó" car, it was meant to be an aerodynamically efficient car. And remember, this isn't a coachbuilt car, it's a freaking Chrysler that came from the Chrysler factory looking like this. just the fact that Chrysler dared to produce a car that looked like this so early in the 30s, aimed NOT at the rich and wealthy (that's what Imperial was for, and none of them looked this striking) but at people in general, is enough to make this thing subzero.
 

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