![]() At the Highland Park site, Chrysler built a wind tunnel and tested at least 50 scale models by April 1930. Their sole focus, in the beginning, was engineering, and during a day trip near Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan Breer noticed geese flying in formation which sparked his thinking about how objects moved through the air. These three innovators in the late 1920s and early 1930s were known as The Three Musketeers. Sources say he also watched military planes on their practice maneuvers, while others say his interest in lighter-than-air airships and how their shapes helped them move through the atmosphere inspired him.īreer, with fellow Chrysler engineers Fred Zeger and Owen Skelton, began a series of wind tunnel tests with the assistance of aviation expert Orville Wright to study which forms were the most efficient shapes in nature that could be suitable for an automobile. Breer's journey into his concept began while viewing geese travel through the air in a 'V' flight pattern. Extremely revolutionary for the 1930s, the sales, unfortunately, preempted the Airflow's demise. Carl Breer was ahead of his time in terms of aerodynamics. Though it ended up being what is considered by some a commercial failure, Chrysler did make an effort at a fundamental change in automotive design with the Chrysler Airflow.Ĭhrysler's Engineer Carl Breer was responsible for the concept of the Airflow, due to his curiosity about 'how forms affected their movement through the environment'. Produced from 1934 until 1937, the Chrysler Airflow was the original full-size American production vehicle that used streamlining as a basis for building a sleeker automobile, one less susceptible to air resistance. A vehicle ahead of its time, it would never grow into the desired success the company had hoped it would become. Production continued for a number of years but popularity never really materialized. The appearance was not its only downfall the vehicle suffered from reliability problems. The waterflow grille was very different and controversial, prompting later models to be changed with more conventional ones. It was very different from other cars on the road at the time and that did not prove to be what customers wanted. ![]() Unfortunately, the style had not caught up to function and sales suffered. It was a design that was far ahead of its time. The eight-cylinder engine provided around 115 horsepower or more depending on the options selected. The interior was surprisingly roomy and comfortable. Soon, the Airflow would be used by the Chrysler's counterpart, the DeSoto Motor Company. The Chrysler Airflow was introduced in 1934 as an exercise in aerodynamics, form, and function.
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