The Chrysler Airflow Was A Flop In The '30s Despite Its Innovative Design

Truth be told, many observers might say the Chrysler Airflow was a flop in the '30s because of its innovative design — at least in part. The look departed that dramatically from what drivers of the time expected from their cars. Compared to a rival like the Buick Series 60 of the time, for example, the Airflow was much smoother and sleeker, with headlights that integrated into the front body work and a striking waterfall grille that flowed well back onto the hood. Nor did it have the upright greenhouse and long hood of the Buick.

And this wasn't merely art for art's sake. The Airflow's exterior was the result of an intense effort, driven by Chrysler engineer Carl Breer, to bring the same focus on aerodynamics as found in the growing aviation industry to the world of four-wheel transportation. Anecdotally, the inspiration came to him when he noticed a group of airplanes traveling in formation in the skies above.

Breer's starting point was building a small, 2- x 3-foot wind tunnel to help visualize how air flowed around scale models — it was the first ever used in automotive applications. Beyond informing the shape of the Airflow's design, it also changed the car's proportions from those of its competitors. What it came down to was that Breer and his team discovered that it was better for aerodynamics to have a vehicle that essentially tapers from front to back – like the Airflow – than other way around, as was the case with its competitors. But buyers weren't having it. Chrysler killed off the Airflow in 1937, after selling only about 55,000 examples during its four-year lifespan. 

This wasn't only a case of people being put off by the Airflow's radical looks. Chrysler introduced several impressive mechanical innovations with the vehicle, including unibody construction. However, the company rushed the car into production before all its wrinkles were ironed out. One story claims Chrysler was hurrying to beat an upcoming GM vehicle to the market. But whatever the reason, the results didn't make for happy customers.

The problems actually began with a production delay. Chrysler garnered thousands of Airflow pre-orders during the car's debut at the 1934 New York Auto Show, but wasn't able to get assembly lines running until three months later. A lot of the folks who had placed their orders apparently chose other cars in the interim, and people began attributing the delay to Chrysler's perceived inability to deliver on the Airflow's advantages.

Then there were the mechanical flaws themselves. Getting the most attention, and rightly so, were faulty engine mounts that could end up dropping the motor onto the road as you drove along. There were worries about the Airflow's structural integrity, too, and according to automotive historian Aaron Severson, Breer amassed a significant collection of owner letters complaining about issues in the early Airflow models.

It's also worth looking at that "structural integrity" business a little more closely, since it may owe its origins to aggressive anti-Airflow advertising from competing automakers. For instance, the "steel is not enough" campaign attacked the Airflow's all-steel construction as unsafe for passengers — although, of course, it wasn't. Karma would come for GM, one of those advertisers, when it brought out the Chevy Corvair.

Another key issue was timing. Chrysler attempted to launch a family of expensive new cars just months after what the Department of Labor (DoL) considers the worst year for joblessness in U.S. history. Not including members of the military, approximately 25% of the workforce, representing about 12,830,000 people, were without jobs in 1933. And that was on top of a 29% reduction in real GDP between 1929 and 1933. Sure, the economy began to slowly improve from that nadir, but the country then endured a massive outbreak of work stoppages, many of which resulted in violence. The DoL counted 1,856 work stoppages during 1934. All of which is to say that the economic situation when the Airflow debuted wasn't particularly good.

Meanwhile, what was a relatively low-cost DeSoto-branded Airflow model was priced at $995 in 1934. Yes, that works out to about $25,300 today, but back then, the average annual income was $946, so it was a much larger percentage of a person's annual salary. Remember, that's more than $66,000 a year in 2026, when 74% of people think new cars are unaffordable.

The Chrysler Airflow raised the cost of entry to the next level. Jay Leno has a 1934 Chrysler Imperial Airflow CX that cost $2,345 when new, which works out to nearly $60 large today. As for the range-topping Model CW Airflow Imperial Custom Eight, that came in at more than $5,000 – at that point, the cost was roughly equivalent to what you would pay in 2026 for a Mercedes-Benz S 580 4Matic.