Vehicle Description
1936 Chrysler Airflow C-9 Sedan Recently acquired from a long term
collector from Sandy Utah One of only 1,590 Chrysler Airflows C-9
Sedans made in 1936 324 CID inline eight-cylinder engine with
downdraft carburetor Three-speed manual transmission with automatic
overdrive with semi-floating rear axle Harvard Maroon over black
exterior with tan broadcloth interior Uni-body construction,
all-steel top and 123-inch wheelbase Six-way adjustable front seat,
hydraulic power-assisted brakes Automatic electric choke, "Floating
Power" engine mounts and "Life Guard" inner tubes Crank-out
windshield, recent MOPAR spotlight Documentation includes poster of
vehicle statistics Own this Vehicle from $645 per month-call
636-600-4600 Looking for all the world like it belongs on the set
of a Dick Tracy film, Chrysler went out on a rare limb in the
mid-1930s and unveiled its Airflow models as the country recovered
from the Great Depression. Rarely seen today, this example is just
one of 1,590 Chrysler Airflows C-9 made at Chrysler's Highland
Park, Michigan assembly plant in 1936 and now it is for sale at
MotoeXotica Classic Cars. We recently acquired this Airflow from a
well known long-term collector from Sandy Utah. Dressed in Harvard
Maroon over black, the car's paint and trim are in overall very
good order and even add a slight sinister air to the car's
presence. The car's vee'd, two-piece windshield (which could be
opened via hand crank), six side windows and divided rear glass are
all clear and intact while the aerodynamic headlights and accented
taillights enhance the car's avant-garde styling. The front side
vent windows even roll into the doors with the main glass, however
there is a crack in the driver's side rearmost window. As was
common during that time, the rear doors open "coach" style, i.e.,
they are hinged at the rear (suicide). With solid, original
bodywork, including an all-steel top, the car's engine bay is quite
tidy, its cargo area with a full-sized spare tire, is in very good
order and the car's chrome bumpers are in very good, original
condition. This Airflow rides on wide whitewall tires, size 7.00-16
at all four corners. Airflows in 1936 featured "Life Guard" inner
tubes which had dual inner tubes. Each tire is mounted to red,
vented factory wheel with a steel center cap. The tires and wheels
are in good, original condition. Note that this car only has a
working driver's side windshield wiper and a modern, Mopar driver's
side spotlight. Under the hood is Chrysler's 324 CID straight
eight-cylinder engine with downdraft carburetor. Backing this motor
are a three-speed manual transmission with automatic overdrive and
a semi-floating rear axle with a 4.1:1 rear end. Driver convenience
features include power-assisted hydraulic brakes, automatic
electric choke and "Floating Power" engine mounts. Inside, the tan
broadcloth interior is in overall great shape. The large,
accommodating front and rear seats look comfy enough to fall asleep
in. The front seat even has six-way adjustments. The matching
carpet and headliner also are in very good shape. A black,
three-spoke steering wheel faces the driver while the instrument
panel, with its Art Deco design, center-mounted gauges, speedometer
and tachometer combination and woodgrain accents, is in very good
order, as are the inner door panels. In back, a long metal bar
hangs from the rear of the front bench so one could hang overcoats
or blankets on during winter or other, cold periods. The rear
window also came with a roll-down sunshade. The first thing
prospective customers noticed about the Airflow was its
conspicuously modern styling compared to other "two-box" and more
traditional cars in the mid-1930s. Carl Breer, who led Chrysler's
Research and Development Group, realized that traditional
automotive bodies were ill-equipped to handle speeds in excess of
80 miles per hour, top velocities becoming more common during this
era. Using small-scale and life-sized wind tunnels, Breer and his
team discovered that some cars exhibited less drag going backward
so Chrysler stylists gave the car a tapered rear end with a curved
front. Designers moved the passenger cabin forward, reducing
vibrations and moving rear seat passengers from sitting over the
rear axle. Pushing the four wheels to the cars' ends vastly
enhanced the car's cornering and ride, 60 years prior to the
company's "Cab Forward" designs. As a widely distributed
promotional reel shown in movie theatres, audiences nationwide
watched an empty Airflow tumble down a 110-foot tall cliff in
Pennsylvania, followed by someone who gets in and drive the damaged
car away under its own power. Chrysler also changed things most
customers never saw. A semi-unit-body frame replaced the ubiquitous
ladder frame. The Airflow's body was stiffer than comparable
body-on-frame cars. Besides moving the cabin forward, the Airflow
engines rested over the front axles, the rear seat set 20 inches
forward of the rear axle, putting driver and passengers between the
axles. This also allowed the front and rear suspensions to operate
independently. Chrysler engineers also created the cars' "Floating
Ride," which had spring actions people found natural and restful.
For 1936, the Airflow surrendered its smooth backside when a trunk
was tacked onto the body of the car. The grille also became more
pronounced. That year, only the C-9 and C-10 Airflow body styles
broke the 1,000-unit mark. Otherwise, total Airflow production sank
to 6,275 units compared to the concurrent Airstream models, which
sold more than 52,000 units for 1936. Nineteen thirty-six would be
the last year that Chrysler's premium Imperial model range would
carry the Airflow. Life Guard tires were introduced, which had two
tubes inside the tire. Prospective customers gave the Airflow the
cold shoulder, sales-wise. Some people derided it as too ugly,
others found it to be too radical to put one in their driveway or
on in front of their home. Chrysler made some attempts to change
trim and minor styling pieces from 1935 to 1937 but the basic shape
remained. The Airflow damaged Chrysler far more than one would
think; the company lost market share, time and credibility forcing
Chrysler to become overcautious in its products for 30 years, and,
erasing, to a degree, its main strength; and styling became more
important. The key technical lessons of the Airflow would be put
aside � though some were picked up outside the company. General
Motors responded to the Airflow with its Turret Top models. Volvo
and Peugeot quickly copied and condensed the Airflow's styling and
advantages for themselves. Volvo released the PV 36 Carioca between
1935 and 1938 while the Peugeot 202 was built between 1938 and 1942
and after a stint of 20 models in 1945, it continued from 1946
until 1949. The Airflow's biggest imitator may have been a new car
company called Toyota with its first production model, the AA in
1936. Competition to this Airflow in 1936 included Buick's Century,
Cadillac's Series 60 sedan, Chrysler's Airstream, DeSoto's
companion Airflow and Airstream, Dodge's D2 four-door touring
sedan, LaSalle's Series 50, the Lincoln-Zephyr sedan, Oldsmobile's
Series L, Packard's One-Twenty Sedan and Pontiac's DeLuxe Eight.
The Airflow is an American classic, a 1930s styling icon and it
directly or indirectly influenced automakers worldwide. You
probably would not see another one like it at a local car show or
cruise event but you would field a lot of questions from curious
passers-by and maybe even hear a few stories from those whose
parents or grandparents used to own an Airflow. If you're
interested in getting your hands on this rolling, Art Deco
masterpiece, you should...for more information please contact the
seller.