1935 Chr ysler Imperial Model C2 Airflow Coupe

Airflow Coupe

he Chrysler Airflow is one of the clearest examples of a

consumer product that failed because it was ahead of its

time. Indeed, when a car company sets out to create a

new model today, they address aerodynamic and safety

concerns while building a unitized body that also serves

as the car’s chassis.

The Airflow did all of these things well before other car-

makers did, and because of that it can be considered a genesis

point for the modern automobile. However, the Airflow’s abject

marketplace failure can be seen as a cautionary tale about why

carmakers shouldn’t let their engineers run roughshod over

sales and marketing concerns.

Chrysler was an engineering-driven company at the time

of the car’s introduction. The Airflow was billed as the first

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