When new car production was suspended during World War II, newspapers and magazines routinely published imaginative proposals for futuristic streamlined cars, expected to be the car of the future when auto manufacturing resumed. However, when automobile production resumed the majority of U.S. automakers took a different approach.
The sold exception was Nash. Their aerodynamic 1949 through 1951 Airflyte models grew out of a 1943 concept and were as 'futuristic' as any post-war American car could ever be. The styling and engineering departments were under one roof at Nash during the 1940s and design responsibility for the aerodynamic Airflyte fell to chief engineer Nils E. Wahlberg, a brilliant designer who had been with Nash since 1916.
Wind tunnel testing of the 1949 Nash Airflyte, with its nearly covered front wheels, generated 113 pounds of drag at 60 mph; that year's more conventionally styled Packard generated 171 pounds of drag. Wahlberg's engineers finessed the Airflyte's smallest details to eliminated wind noise, resulting in a car that was quieter on the road than more expensive cars. A Buick-like full-coil suspension assured a smooth ride.
