DeSoto Airstream
The Desoto Airstream was a car built by Chrysler under the DeSoto brand in the 1935 and 1936 model years. In both years the car was sold together with the streamlined Airflow model . Chrysler also offered an Airstream under its own name; the cars showed small visual differences.
The Airstream was introduced to regain market share that was lost in 1934 when DeSoto only offered the Airflow. Although it was streamlined and aerodynamic , the airflow was not appreciated by customers and the Airstream, constructed to more common standards, was supposed to bridge the gap until the completely redesigned 1937 DeSoto.
If you look back at the Airstream, "conventional" was its best quality. The solidly built and conservatively constructed 6-cylinder Airstream, unlike the Airflow, had no integrated headlights, no wide radiator grille and no monocoque chassis. The structure was made entirely of steel (and was not constructed in a composite construction - sheet steel on a wooden frame - as was the case with many US car manufacturers in the 1930s), but was built on a frame and not connected to the frame as with the Airflow.
In 1935, a 2-door business coupé, a convertible, a roadster coupé, a coupé for 5 passengers and a sedan with trunk were offered as superstructures. There were sedans with four doors, with and without a trunk. The cars had Chrysler's rubber engine mounts ("floating power") that kept engine vibrations away from the chassis. On request there was also carpets in the front footwell, a radio and a heater.
The Airstream models cost about US $ 200 less than the Airflow. This and the more traditional styling made the series a success.
In the 1935 model year DeSoto sold 20,003 Airstream and 6,797 Airflow (together 26,800 cars), almost twice as many as in the 1934 model year (13,940 units) when only the Airflow was offered.
In 1936 there were two trim levels for the Airstream, the Deluxe and the Custom . The Deluxe had a one-piece windshield, while the Custom (except for the Cabriolet) had a split windshield, which quickly became the industry standard. In the better equipped version, there was also a custom traveler model on a longer chassis with a 3,302 mm wheelbase. This custom traveler was popular with companies building Pullman limousines, which established DeSoto's long-term and profitable relationship with taxi manufacturers .
In 1936 total sales increased to 38,938 units, of which 33,938 were Airstream, while Airflow dropped to 5,000 units in its final year of production
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- Beverly R. Kimes (Ed.), Henry A. Clark: The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. Krause Publications, 1996, ISBN 0-87341-428-4 .