1934 DeSoto Airflow Sedan

The 'Airflow' design, applied to Chrysler and its sister marque DeSoto, is one of the most important cars of all time. At the same time, it was both an incredible engineering success and a crushing commercial failure. While largely shunned by the car-buying public, the radical streamlined design of the Airflow was truly ahead of its time. The Airflow was the first mass-production automobile design with the entire passenger compartment moved forward within the wheelbase, and the engine placed over the front axle instead of behind it.

This car is a 1934 DeSoto SE Airflow 4-door sedan. These were the first cars with unibody construction. Additionally, they were the first cars with the rear seat forward of the rear axle instead of over the rear axle. The engine sat between the front wheels.

This car has a dash-mounted shift lever and does not need the clutch.

The Airflow automobiles featured the beginning of unibody construction and were the first cars to place the motor over the front axles - providing a more comfortable ride.

The DeSoto SE sedan was powered by a 241 cubic-inch six-cylinder motor that developed 100 horsepower. Race driver Harry Hartz set 32 stock car records driving a DeSoto Airflow at Muroc Dry Lake Bed in California.