Chrysler Imperial Series CV Airflow Coupe (1934)

1934 Chrysler Imperial Series CV Airflow Coupe. Made in Michigan.

With the Airflow, Chrysler made a significant effort to change automotive design but the effort was ultimately a commercial failure. Within six months of its introduction, it was obvious to Chrysler that they had a sales disaster on their hands. A combination of the Great Depression and the car's controversial styling led to styling changes by 1936 and an end to the line by 1937.

The car's aerodynamic styling allowed air to flow around the vehicle rather than to crash into the car and its features. The design featured a grill that resembled a waterfall as it cascaded down the front of the car between the semi-flush headlights. The front fenders were designed to enclosed the running surface of the tires tread while the rear wheels were hidden by skirts. While most windshields of the time were made of one flat pane of glass, the Airflow featured a raked windshield made from two split panes of glass. The car featured unibody construction instead of the traditional body on frame construction which was popular in so many other cars of the period. This allowed Chrysler to reduce the weight of the car and to place the passenger compartment lower and more towards the center of the car leaving it with a more balanced weight distribution. This allowed for improved fuels mileage and better handling respectively.

The Chrysler Imperial Airflow was produced from 1934 to 1937. Only three of the cars from 1934 are known to still exist. This care is one of them.

The Chrysler Imperial Series CV Airflow Coupe had a 4900cc, flat-head straight-8 motor capable of 122HP.