1937 Chrysler Imperial Series C-15

Chrysler introduced streamlined vehicle designs in the mid-1930s that used unit-body construction, a waterfall grille, sloping vee-type windshield, recessed headlights mounted in teardrop-shaped housings, full shroud rear fender skirts, Delco Remy ignition, automatic vacuum-operated clutch, and Lockheed hydraulic brakes. Called the Airflow, Chrysler hedged its bets by offering a line of conventional cars that had all-steel bodies, slightly convex grilles, built-in luggage compartments, hydraulic brakes, Autolite ignition, synchromesh transmission, and 'Floating Power.'

Production of the Airflow was brief, lasting from 1934 to 1937, and was the first full-size American production car to wear such a streamlined and aerodynamic appearance. Chrysler's companion model, the DeSoto, also marketed an Airflow model. The Airflow successfully set Chrysler apart from other manufacturers, but its failure in the marketplace caused the company to return to a more conservative path with its future models. Chrysler vehicle styling would continue to use conservative and mainstream appearance until the introduction of Virgil Exner's 'Forward Look' cars of 1955.

The 1937 Chrysler models included the six-cylinder Royal, and the eight-cylinder Imperial and Airflow. The Chrysler Royals wore all-new styling on a shorter chassis, with bullet-shaped headlights and equipped with built-in windshield defroster vents, safety padding on the rear of the front seats, and fully insulated body mountings. The Imperial (Series C-14), previously an Airflow model, now wore styling similar to the new Royal six but with a longer hood and cowl. The Royal had a 116-inch wheelbase and the Imperial C-14 measured 121 inches.

The 1937 Chrysler Imperial Custom Series C-15 was similar to the Imperial Series 14 but rested on a longer platform. They shared an L-head, eight-cylinder, 323.5 cubic-inch engine with the Airflow C17 and were equipped with hydraulic brakes and a three-speed manual transmission. Bodystyles included three factory semi-customs consisting of a 5- and 7-passenger touring sedan and a 7-passenger limousine. Individual custom body styles were also available from LeBaron and Derham. The elegant bodies were matched with equally impressive upholstery and trim.

The Chrysler Imperial Custom Series C-15 had seat safety padding, insulated body mountings, and built-in defroster vents.

Factory Semi-Custom body style production included 187 examples of the C-15 Touring Sedan with a base factory price of $2,060, 721 examples of the seven-passenger touring sedan, and 276 of the seven-passenger limousine ($2,160). Individual Custom body style production included a single LeBaron Fastback Town Car, a Derham convertible victoria, a Derham convertible sedan, and a Derham Convertible Town Car.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2014