Airflow styling

[1940plymouth]

Chrysler's styling of the Airflows was really good, I wonder what would have been the outcome if Ford or GM had done it instead of Chrysler?

In approx five years all makes basically had this type of body style.

[greg g]

They would have all looked like VW's.....

Edited April 5, 2012 by greg g

[TodFitch]

Chrysler's styling of the Airflows was really good' date=' I wonder what would have been the outcome if Ford or GM had done it instead of Chrysler?

In approx five years all makes basically had this type of body style.[/quote']

I've always thought that the Lincoln Zephyr looked like a Airflow sedan with different grill work.

They would have all looked like VW's.....

I think you should say the reverse: VW Beetles look like '34 Air flow coupes. The 1934 Chrysler Airflow pre-dates the "People's Car" by a few years. First production of the VW KDF trickled out of the factory in '39, five years after the Airflow.

[greg g]

I did read somewhere that the airflow design was the inspiration for Ferdinand's drawings.

[Robin (UK)]

Hitler's people's car was based on the Czech designed Tatra.

He was intensely jealous of Czechoslovakian technology, engineering and design.

Here's a 1933 model.

[Rusty O'Toole]

They did do it. Every car maker in America copied the 1934 - 1937 Airflow as fast as they could.

Just look at the typical 1933 or 1934 (pre Airflow) car. Then compare with the 1938 (post Airflow) car. All the 1938 cars copy the Airflow chassis layout (engine forward, cab forward) and the Airflow silhouette. The only difference is chubbier fenders.

Lincoln Zephyr was Ford's answer to the Airflow. The original Zephyr prototype was a rear engine car with sloping nose. It looked exactly like a king size, 4 door VW.

The production Zephyr was a front engine car but it kept the sloping nose, with a conventional hood and grille added. Look at the 1936 and 37 Zephyr and you can easily see where the VW style hood used to go.

Here is an article on the prototype developed by John Tjaarda of the Briggs Body Co, that later became the Zephyr. Note the resemblance to the VW.

http://www.idsa.org/briggs-dream-car-1933

Ferdinand Porsche visited Detroit twice in the thirties to pick up the latest design trends and mass production methods. After the second trip, in 1937, the VW was redesigned into the form we all know and love, resembling the Tjaarda car or the 37 Zephyr/Ford line. He also adopted the new Ford "wide 5" wheel bolt pattern.

[fstfish66]

i had heard from a musuem owner on a t,v, show that the germans came over bought 5 desoto air flows took them back to germany and thats where the vw bug came from,,,who really knows,,, here is a pic of the only completely stock air flow ive ever seen,,its in the chrysler museum in auburn hills mi