DeSoto Airstream History
The conventional companion to the Airflow (1935–1936), rushed out to win back buyers turned off by the streamliner.
Photo: “1936 Desoto Deluxe Airstream Sedan” by Sicnag / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
History
When the radical Airflow flopped, Chrysler added the more traditionally styled DeSoto Airstream for 1935 — a conventional, lower-priced car sharing much with Chrysler's own range and using the 241.5-cubic-inch straight-six. It immediately recovered a good share of the sales DeSoto had lost to the Airflow.
The Airstream outsold the Airflow heavily and served as DeSoto's volume model for 1935 and 1936 before the whole lineup was restyled into conventionally bodied DeSotos for 1937. It is the model that effectively saved the division after the Airflow misadventure.
Generations
Conventional series · Airstream
Photo: “1936 Desoto Deluxe Airstream Sedan” by Sicnag / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
The conventionally styled companion rushed out after the Airflow flopped.
1935 Photo: “Desoto_Airstream_1935_RFront_Lake_Mirror_Cassic_16Oct2010” by Valder137 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
1936 Photo: “1936 Desoto Deluxe Airstream Sedan” by Sicnag / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Body styles
- Sedan
- Coupe
- Convertible
Related models
Collect the nameplate
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