Chrysler Airflow Grille Evolution, 1934-1937

Chrysler's revoutionary 1934 Airflow was an engineering trendsetter.  But its windtunnel-tested body design was awkward appearing, too far from conventional designs of the time.  There were some initial production delays, criticisms from competing firms, and other factors, but its odd design was likely the prime reason sales were well below expectations.

Chrysler Corporation soon set a crash program in place to make Airflows look more conventional.  That was mainly in the form of redesinging grills and hoods.  I wrote about facelifting DeSoto Airflows here.

Today's post deals with Chrysler Airflow front end facelifts.

Gallery

1934 Chrysler CU Airflow Sedan - factory photo
The original Chrysler Airflow design.

1934 Chrysler CA 4-door sedan - car-for-sale photo
Not all 1934 Chryslers were Airflows.  The company also continued to make conventional (for the times) models such as this.

1934 Chrysler Airflow - factory photo
Because the Airflow represented a major engineering advance, including wind tunnel testing of body shapes, no attempt was made to link the grille's design to that of conventional CA and CB models.  As mentioned above, slow Airflow sales forced Chrysler to make Airflows seem less Airflow-like.  The easiest place to do that was the grille design.

1935 Chrysler Airstream
Airstream was Chrysler's name for its new 1935 conventional, non-Airflow line.  Shown here is its mildly streamlined grille.

1935 Chrysler C2 Imperial Airflow Coupe - RM Sotheby's Auctions image
And this is how that grille theme was carried over to 1935 Airflows.  Body shapes required a wider opening, but the theme of thin, vertical bars and fewer, thicker horizontal chrome bars and slightly V'd prow, was carried over.  Also note that Airstreams and Airflows had a similar theme for side air vents.  Although less "functionally pure," the '35 Airflow grille is more attractive than the '34 original.  Its crispness counterbalances what otherwise is a fairly "soft" body design.

1936 Chrysler Airstream 4-door sedan car-for-sale photo
Model year 1936 saw the "fencer's mask" grille fad that I wrote about here.  I mentioned that "Chrysler's fencer's mask fronts were extreme versions of the style."

1936 Chrysler C9 Airflow Sedan - Mecum Auctions photo
Like in 1935, the '36 Airflow version was a reshaped version of the Airstream theme.  The angularity is gone, changing the overall appearance to a more consistent softness.  Nothing necessarily wrong with that.  Besides, soft, rounded shapes were prevalent American designs of that era, so this helped Airflows seem somewhat in line with American automotive fashions.

1937 Chryler Royal 4-door sedan - car-for-sale photo
I wrote about the odd 1937 Chrysler front end design, and how it was restyled for 1938 here.

1937 Chrysler C17 Airflow Coupe - BaT Auctions photo
The final Airflow grille again carried over details from conventional Chryslers.  But this design is much better, even restoring some of the crispness of 1935.  The "whiskers" on the hood of the Royal in the previous image are drastically truncated here.  Note that the outer edge angle blends with the angle of the grille frame -- a nice, professional touch, but structurally influenced by the hood cutline.