1935 DeSoto Airflow

Walter Chrysler introduced his first 'Chrysler Six' in 1924, instantly gaining the automotive world's attention. His mechanical aptitude and talent for organization helped his company ascend to what is now known as the 'Big Three.' In 1928 he introduced the Plymouth, but what he needed was the capacity of the foundries that Dodge held. Walter negotiated a deal to acquire the Dodge brand, but the bankers were reluctant to make a deal. In retaliation, Walter threatened to build a car that would compete with Dodge if they didn't accept the deal. Work began on the new DeSoto, and when the bankers caught wind of this, they relented and sold Dodge to Chrysler in one of the biggest deals of the century. With the deal in place, many thought the DeSoto brand would be stillborn. Just four days after the Dodge acquisition, the DeSoto went into production and would sell over 81,000 cars in its inaugural year.

The aerodynamic DeSoto Airflow was introduced in 1934 and would remain in production through 1936. It made its debut alongside its more luxurious stablemate, the Chrysler Airflow. The styling was a radical departure from many other vehicles on the road, and some considered it too futuristic and controversial. Its smooth exterior design had a broad waterfall-style grille, a split windshield with each of the two panes of glass angled to better redirect the air around them, and headlights housed in flush mountings on either side of the grille. In the back, the rear wheels were encased behind fender skirts.

The smooth and aerodynamic features allowed for a quieter passenger compartment and ample interior space. The unibody construction allowed the passengers to ride within the car's frame, not on top of the frame like so many other vehicles of the era. Additionally, it allowed for a stiffer body and better weight distribution.

The radical DeSoto Airflow was light years ahead of its and was one of the first to use wind tunnel testing in its sleek and aerodynamic design. Sadly, the motoring public did not agree with the drastic new look, and production ended after three years.

The 1935 DeSoto Airflow was available as a sedan, 2- and 4-door Touring sedan, convertible coupe, business coupe, and rumble seat coupe. The most popular was the 4-door Touring sedan which found 8,018 willing buyers. Just 226 examples of the convertible coupe were built.

Attempting to tame the design, the 1935 DeSoto received a new front end with a slightly vee-shaped radiator. Mechanically, the Airflow gained a Hypoid rear axle, and the rear anti-sway bar was moved to the front of the car. The freewheeling feature was no longer used. Standard equipment included Lockheed four-wheel hydraulic brakes, Centrifuse brake drums, fender skirts, and Autolite ignition.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020