Chrysler Corporation quickly decided to augment and promote for the 1935 model year an alternative, conventional (for the time) model that was given the name Airstream. That was because, for 1934, only about 11,000 Chrysler Airflows were built and the conventional CA and CB models reached a production total of around 25,000. That proved to be a good decision because for 1935 only about 8,000 Airflows were built, compared to around 41,000 Airstreams.
Chrysler and DeSoto Airstreams used a new body design originally intended for use mostly by the corporation's Dodge and Plymouth brands.
Below is a set of comparative images. Unless noted, their sources are Chrysler and cars-for-sale Web sites.
The original Airflow design. Perhaps its most controversial feature was its stubby, rounded front end at a time when tall, long hoods were the norm.
A four-door sedan Chrysler Airstream -- conventional circa-1935 styling.
The Dodge on the same body has a good deal less flashy chrome than the Chrysler.
The entry-level Plymouth is also plain compared to the Chrysler.
Yet another variation of the same basic body. DeSoto Airflows and Airstreams had similar grille design elements.
For the record, a 1935 Chrysler Airflow. Like DeSoto, its grille elements are similar to those used on Airstreams as a matter of preserving brand identity. Note that the front end is not quite so flatly rounded as in 1934.
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