More About 1939 Chrysler Front End Styling

For many years, cars' motors have usually been placed well forward, over the front axle line.  But in the years leading up to the mid-1930s, it was the radiator that sat close to the axle.  By 1940, American practice was for the radiator to be mounted slightly in front of the axle line and the motor placed slightly over it or just behind it.

I happen to have a soft spot for post-1933 "streamlined" designs where the fender fronts are forward of the front of the hood.  That's probably because in my teens I became enamored of the 1936-37 Cord design.

Which is why I posted "Chrysler's Intriguing 1939 Front End Styling."  I wrote:

"What interests me regarding 1939 Chrysler front ends is that the hood is set back a short distance from the very front of the car.  Far enough aft so that the hood and remainder of the car becomes one element and the front fenders and a connecting surface containing the main grille opening comprise a separate element."

That was in 2015.  Thanks to ever-expanding Internet content, I recently came across a set of photos that better illustrate those '39 Chrysler front ends.  Some of those images are presented below.

The subject car is a 1939 Chrysler Royal two-door listed for sale.  I characterize it as a Brougham, the most-produced 2-door sedan-like Royals for that year.  However, some Chrysler promotion material mentions such a car as a sedan.  The 2002 "Encyclopedia of American Cars" lists a Victoria Coupe (4-passenger, very low production) and a 5-passenger Brougham, 4,838 produced.  No mention of a 2-door sedan.

Those are incidental, "housekeeping" matters.  let's turn to the images.

Gallery

1939 Chrysler Imperial - car-for-sale photo
Establishment photo.  I used it in the linked post.

1936 Cord 810 Westchester - Hyman, Ltd. photo
The classic Cord design.  Unusual in those days, Cord had a front-wheel drive train forward of the V-8 engine, with the radiator placed on the axle line.  Some mechanical bits are forward of the axle, covered by the sculpted sheetmetal seen behind the bumper.  Those bulbous fenders help project the car forward of the axle line which is located slightly aft of the front of the hood in this photo.

1939 DeSoto 4-door sedan - car-for-sale photo
This DeSoto has the same wheelbase as the Chrysler Royal, the brands sharing the same body sets.  Here the frontal placement of fenders, hood front and grille are conventional for that model year.  Clearly, frontal Chrysler styling was intentionally different.  Model year 1940 saw redesigned bodies for Chrysler Corporation cars, and Chrysler front ends became conventional.

1939 Chrysler Royal Brogham - car-for-sale photo set
This overhead view shows the relationship of the hood, fenders, catwalks and bumper -- the key elements.   The grille opening is mostly in front of the prow of the hood.

From this angle, we see that the grille/catwalk zone does not actually extend very far forwards of the prow.  And all of this is well ahead of the axle line.

This "all-open" photo shows where the motor is located -- abaft of the axle line.

Side view, somewhat distorted thanks to a wide-angle lens.

Close-up view of the frontal design.