Sinuous styling and efficient engineering ensured sales success for 1935 Chrysler Airstreams

"Strikingly beautiful… Lines that cleave the wind," Chrysler said of the 1935 Airstream, its redesigned entry-level series that was more conventional in appearance than the premium-priced, slow-selling Airflows, yet still targeted a "discriminating clientele."

The Chrysler, Imperial, and De Soto Airflows featured an innovative and radically aerodynamic-for-the-era streamlined design, as well as numerous engineering advances that would prove influential in the automobile industry. Yet their meager sales figures indicated that the styling was too far ahead of its time to foster broad public acceptance.

Where form followed function in the Airflow's design—to reap the most aerodynamic benefit—eye-appealing styling took precedence over a low-drag coefficient for Airstream Chryslers and De Sotos. Compared to the 1934 non-Airflow models, the new Airstream exhibited a more dramatically swept-back vee'd grille and windshield, and refined fenders, all of which suggested motion even when stationary. (Several body elements were also shared with the updated Dodge and Plymouth.)

As in the Airflow, the engine and passenger compartment were moved forward, with a portion of the engine now over the front wheels and the rear seat ahead of the axle to provide a more "scientific distribution of weight."

For 1935, the Airstream's attractive shapes and other attributes generated sufficient sales volume to advance Chrysler's and De Soto's recovery from the 1934 Airflow's poor reception. In ascending order of price and equipment, the 1935 lines included the Airstream Six, Eight (featuring a 3-inch longer wheelbase than the Six), and the De Luxe Eight, which was released during the model year. Airflow Eights were larger, cost more, and included Chrysler and Imperial versions. A broad selection of four-door and two-door body styles comprised the C6 series Airstream Six, but this article highlights the convertible coupe, which also appears to have been a later addition to the roster.

The foundation of the Airstream chassis was a "double-drop X-girder-truss-type" frame with a 118-inch wheelbase to which the welded steel body shell was fastened. Hood, fenders, doors, etc. were bolted on, and the overall length was 192¾ inches. Independent front suspension employed control arms, coil springs, and worm-and-roller steering. U-bolt shackles retained semi-elliptic rear leaf springs with new tapered ends that smoothed the ride and reduced noise. A "Ride Stabilizer" bar in the rear lessened body lean in the corners. Hydraulic shocks, hydraulic brakes with Centrifuse iron/steel 10-inch drums, and 6.25 x 16-inch tires on steel wheels were at the four corners.

Beneath the hood, the 241.5-cu.in., L-head straight-six engine featured a 3.375-inch bore, four-main-bearing iron block, and a 4.500-inch-stroke crankshaft with seven integrally forged counterweights for smooth operation. Connecting rods were forged steel, and the lightweight aluminum-alloy pistons featured a T-slot to control expansion, four rings, and, for 1935, employed a "sapphire-hard anodic coating" to increase durability. Exhaust valve seat inserts of "tungsten high-speed tool steel" lasted up to 30,000-miles before requiring service.

The solid-lifter camshaft actuated the valves, and a one-barrel downdraft carburetor, iron intake manifold, and an Autolite breaker-point distributor were employed. An "impulse neutralizer" bolted to the crankshaft increased smoothness, and the "Floating Power" mounting, where the engine and transmission were "cradled in rubber as a unit," quelled remaining vibrations. With a 6:1 compression ratio, the engine produced 93 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. An optional upgrade included an aluminum head, a 6.5:1 compression ratio, and an increase in output to 100 hp. A 6-volt electrical system featured an air-cooled, balanced-armature generator rated at 22 amps.

A new air-cooled clutch, with vents in the bellhousing, promised to extend the lining life of the 10-inch disc via greater heat dissipation and the elimination of vacuum buildup that could draw contaminants onto the facing. Other revisions reduced pedal pressure by 30 percent.

Leather upholstery decorates the interior and the rumble seat, and the aura of luxury is furthered by the gold accents and the refined fonts in the instrument cluster with a 100-mph speedometer in the left bezel and a host of gauges in the right.

The "Syncro-Silent" floor-shifted three-speed manual transmission delivered engine torque through the driveshaft to the chrome nickel alloy steel gears (3.89:1 final drive ratio in coupes and 4.125:1 in sedans) and semi-floating axles in the pressed-steel rear-end housing.

Complementing the Airstream's upscale upholstery and refined instruments, Chrysler boasted of increased head-, leg-, and elbow room resulting from the new body design. Our featured Polo Green 1935 Airstream Six convertible coupe, with leather interior, is the first Chrysler from this era that Bill and Sue Stanley of Connecticut have owned. They've already collected several vintage automobiles of various makes and were pleased to acquire this rumble seat-equipped example.

The heater was optional.

"I saw the Airstream at Hershey around 2016 and loved it, but didn't have room for it at the time," Bill recalls. "In April of 2018, I checked the dealer's website to confirm that the car was still there and then made arrangements to trade our 1962 Triumph TR3B and one of our 1955 Thunderbirds for it. We were told the Chrysler had come from a collection in Rhode Island and that a new convertible top, interior, and reproduction bias-ply tires had been installed." Additional "special equipment" consisted of a radio, heater, bumper group, dual spare tire fender-wells with metal covers, second spare tire, rear wheel shields, "trunk rack," dual trumpet horns, second windshield wiper, and a second taillamp.

When Bill got the Airstream home, he examined it to ensure it was road ready. During the first few months of driving it, he replaced the brake wheel cylinders all around and the weak return springs on rear shoes. After the fuel system experienced vapor lock a few times, he installed an electric pump, but the engine also occasionally ran hot.

This past winter, he decided to pull the powertrain for rebuilding. When the radiator was removed and inspected, it was found to be almost completely blocked with an unidentified compound. Bill recalls, "After seeing how bad it was, I was amazed that the engine didn't overheat more than it did." Fortunately, the radiator could be cleaned out, tested, and saved.

Bill believes that the engine is original, but the transmission is from a later car, as is the overdrive unit, which he relates wasn't available for 1935 Airstreams. He also learned that the L-head six already had .030-over pistons in it and the cylinder walls required boring again, so they are now .060-over. Progress continues on the rebuilds.

The 241.5-cu.in., L-head straight-six produces 93 horsepower. Fuel is mixed with air in the downdraft carburetor and delivered to the engine via an iron intake manifold. Following combustion, spent gasses are ushered through the iron exhaust manifold to a single exhaust system. Vacuum advance was added to the distributor for 1935, and Chrysler stated that it would improve fuel economy by 8 percent.

Driving the Chrysler has been highly enjoyable, but Bill has noticed some looseness in the front end, so he's stayed off the highway and is contemplating rebuilding the suspension. He relates that the body and paintwork—which he believes to be several years old—have held up very well, however. Though Bill hasn't had to totally restore his Airstream, he's still encountered some difficulty in finding a few parts. A prime example was sourcing a replacement for the damaged hood ornament. Here's where a little ingenuity led to a great find.

He explains, "I had to hunt for a hood ornament for a car that was made for only two years, 85 years ago. I struck out at Hershey and was feeling discouraged, but then had the idea of posting something on the "parts wanted" forum on the Airflow club website. I figured it was the same manufacturer for the same time period, so it's not out the realm of possibility. It was a longshot but I had nothing to lose. Amazingly, about two hours after I posted the ad, I had a return email from an Airflow owner in Michigan who said he had a 1935 Chrysler Airstream hood ornament in his garage. A couple of days later, I received pictures and it was just what I was looking for. We worked out a deal and he sent it to me."

With their convertible detailed to their satisfaction, Bill and Sue participated in multiple concours events in 2019, including Hemmings, Greenwich, and Klingberg, with their Chrysler earning awards at each show. If you were fortunate enough to attend one of those events, it was likely the first time you've ever seen a 1935 Airstream Six convertible because they are quite rare.

Interestingly, the 1935 dealer brochures we've found, and the Chrysler Data Book don't refer to an Airstream with the convertible coupe body. However, in the fine print of an ad hailing the arrival of the De Luxe Airstream Eight series, which also included a convertible coupe, an Airstream Six with the same body style was announced and a price was listed, so it appears to have been a mid-model year entry. Some later books and articles allude to it as well, and of course, there's our featured example, but another curiosity is that a production breakdown for the convertible (C6) Six isn't currently known.

Unlike the other Airstream Six and Eight body styles, according to the Standard Catalog of Chrysler, "There is no available record of production for the C6 convertible coupe." Nevertheless, the total sales within the Airstream Six series were 24,458 for 1935, possibly not including the convertible coupe if its figures weren't already combined with another body style.

Streamlined styling, independent front suspension, girder X-type frames, and hydraulic brakes were just a few features found in the 1935 Airstream Six convertible's market, and the F-35 Oldsmobile Six convertible coupe and Studebaker Dictator Six Regal Roadster were among its competitors.

Though the $870 Airstream was priced higher, it offered a 3-inch longer wheelbase than the Oldsmobile, and the Chrysler's engine was larger but it had just three more horsepower. Compared to the Studebaker, the Airstream had a 4-inch-longer wheelbase and larger engine with an additional 5 hp.

Produced only for the 1935 and 1936 model years, the Airstream was outlived by the Chrysler version of the Airflow that returned for 1937. Though Airstream Sixes in the other body styles show up for sale periodically, convertible Six offerings seemingly don't, yet Bill realizes how special his is beyond its scarcity.

"The look of my Airstream just speaks to me," he says. "I love its proportions and lines, this one had a great color combination for the body and wheels, and I've always wanted a car with a rumble seat. I keep up on its maintenance and store it in my garage. When we drive it, a few hundred miles per year, it attracts a lot of attention wherever we go."

A design that conveys agility and upscale status and garners continued public appreciation, and engineering that provided a durable yet easy-to-service powertrain and chassis, are significant reasons as to why owning and driving a 1935 Airstream can be a gratifying experience.