This swoopy tail end also proved to be better aerodynamically, and helped save fuel. Wind tunnel testing proved a rounded front end was aerodynamically superior to the old small box in front of a big box body. I verify that all is well, and then let off the parking brake using the chrome pistol grip handle in the center of the instrument panel.
1934 desoto airflow coupe plus#
The dash looks like that of an early Volkswagen Type 1 (Beetle), with two big easy-to-read gauges consisting of a speedometer/odometer and trip meter in one saucer-sized unit, and a temperature gauge plus ammeter, oil pressure and gas gauges included in the second equal-size instrument, making it easy to discern the health of the engine at a glance. The 241.5-cubic-inch, 100-horsepower flathead six turns over a couple of times, comes to life, warms a little, and then settles into a smooth quiet purr. I depress the clutch, which is light, then twist the key and hit the starter. Several foreign cars, including the prototype VW Beetle, had a similar look at the time. I roll down the side window, and to my surprise, the vent wing goes down with it.ĭoes this styling seem familiar? It should. The seat is sofa-like and is soft, comfortable and very roomy. Climbing into the Art Deco-style front seat is easy, though you have to cantilever your bottom over the chrome pipe armrest attached to it. The door is sturdy, wide and accommodating. First let’s take this unique brougham for a spin. This is only part of the story, but more on that later. It has been said that the cars were “too unconventional” for the times, when automobiles were generally upright and squared off, with little to no attention paid to aerodynamics or streamlining. The DeSoto, and especially the bigger, more luxuriously appointed eight-cylinder Chrysler Airflows, caused a worldwide sensation when they debuted in 1934, but they did not become the sales success that Chrysler had hoped for. Or to put it more succinctly, when viewed from a distance, the car looks a lot like a horseshoe crab. (And yes, they did have metallic paint in 1934.) The car is a combination of aerodynamics and styling elements that almost works aesthetically.
It’s a Brougham (what we would call a two-door sedan today) and is finished in sparkling metallic golden beige with brown fenders for accents. In Fact, It Looks More At Home On the Road Today Than It Did 85 Years Ago.Īvin Gebhard backs his impeccable 1934 DeSoto Airflow out into the sunlight. | By Jim Richardson In An Era Dominated By Boxy Automotive Designs, the Airflow Definitely Was Aerodynamically Ahead of Its Time.
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