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The Airflow and the 3 Musketeers
Today we take for granted the aerodynamics of Chrysler vehicles, their smooth rides and the head-turning design
inherent in each vehicle on the road. We take it for granted, in large part, because of three innovators in the late
1920s and early 1930s known as The Three Musketeers.
No, these aren't the swashbuckling variety of Musketeers. They're Chrysler car engineers Fred Zeder, Owen
Skelton, and Carl Breer. When these three took the reins at Chrysler, engineering was the sole focus, but this would
change. On a day trip near Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan, Breer noticed geese flying in formation and it got
him thinking about how objects, including cars, move through the air. After discussing some of his ideas with Zeder
and Skelton, the three introduced the design for a car called the Airflow. Advanced aerodynamic design were
initiated in the late 1920s and perfected in a wind tunnel overseen by Orville Wright. The Airflow became known as
"the first streamlined car." The future of modern automotive design was born.
That 1934 Chrysler Airflow was Chrysler's first unit-construction car. It fundamentally changed the architecture
of the American automobile by placing the passengers between the axles for a vastly improved ride. In moving the
passenger cabin forward and down, the Airflow was Chrysler's first "cab forward" design. The Airflow coupe was also
one of the first American cars to conceal the spare tire in the trunk. Further, the 1934 Chrysler Custom Imperial
Airflow CW Limousine was the first American car to incorporate a curved, one-piece windshield. But as with many
changes from the norm, the Airflow was not a commercial success and its significance in design ingenuity would not
be realized until years later.
The introduction of the Airflow line in the '30s helped establish Chrysler as a leader in automotive design
innovation. They would soon follow the Airflow with their first publicly-exhibited concept cars, the 1940 Chrysler
Thunderbolt and Chrysler Newport. A decade later Chrysler introduced the designs of Virgil Exner to the world and
nothing would ever be the same. |
