Inventory Listing

Rare Town Sedan body style with nice frame-off restoration. Beautiful paint, chrome, and spectacular Art-Deco interior. Smooth straight-8, highly detailed chassis. California car.

The color is called Moonglo or Sultana Sand depending on whose color chart you are reading, but it’s correct code 813. In truth, it’s a bold cream that looks right on the smooth Airflow curves, expertly rendered in modern urethane, so it has an incredible shine. Fit and finish are excellent, with four doors that close securely and panels that line up evenly. Having been driven just 344 miles since it was completed, there are few signs of use or wear, save for some dirt splashed on the undercarriage. Note the lovely waterfall grille, the traditional Chrysler winged hood ornament whose details are still sharp, and the aircraft-inspired tri-bar bumpers fore and aft. Then there are the side vents to cool the engine in warm weather, the striking fender skirt ornaments, and the rear-mounted spare that somehow enhances the sleek lines rather than detracting from them. And all of the chrome has been expertly restored and shows in very good condition.

The interior was also clearly inspired by aircraft design, a feature most apparent in the tube frame of the front seat. Both seats have been upholstered in correct brown broadcloth with accurate piping and buttons for a truly gorgeous presentation. Two large gauges show the speedometer on the left and the auxiliary gauges on the right, all fully functional and beautifully restored. As a lifetime California car, there is no heater, but things like the instrument lights, dual windshield wipers, and other details are fully functional. Of course, carpets, door panels, garnish moldings, and all the hardware have been fully restored and look like new.

The 299 cubic inch straight-8 engine has been fully rebuilt, balanced, and detailed for show, and fits neatly inside the well-designed Airflow engine bay. All the correct details are intact, from the air cleaner with reproduction decals to the original carburetor underneath it. It spins to life quickly and easily, hot or cold, and has a buttery-smooth idle that is almost imperceptible from inside the car. Out on the road, performance is quite lively, with great torque and an effortless feel that’s surely due to the 4.10 gears out back. The frame and suspension are conventional for the period, with a rigid axle and leaf springs fore and aft, but as an early adopter of hydraulic brakes, the Bendix binders on this car are exceptional, particularly with vacuum assist. Pretty color-matched artillery wheels with trim rings and hub caps were standard equipment, with these wearing sparkling 7.50-16 Lester wide whites.

This car represents an opportunity to own a gorgeous early Airflow, and since the restoration it has not been used very much at all, so it’s still quite crisp. Iconic, but every bit as nice to drive as it is to look at, the Airflow is a triumph of 1930s engineering.