Airflow Truck At Auction

[BJM]

I noticed that Vanderbrink Auctions is doing an auction this fall that is featuring a 1935 Airflow truck. They claim 1 of 7. It's not a restored truck but I wonder what the bidding will go to?

[keiser31]

I noticed that Vanderbrink Auctions is doing an auction this fall that is featuring a 1935 Airflow truck. They claim 1 of 7. It's not a restored truck but I wonder what the bidding will go to?

Are they claiming that only 7 were built or only 7 still exist?? First of all, there were at least 29 built in January of 1935. Second, there is no way to tell if there are only 7 left.

[BJM]

Are they claiming that only 7 were built or only 7 still exist?? First of all, there were at least 29 built in January of 1935. Second, there is no way to tell if there are only 7 left.

Don't know for sure. I saw it in Hemmings Motor News so I will check it again tonight. I believe they meant 1 of 7 remaining. Sellers are often prone to hyperbole to move what they have. I agree there is no way to know for sure. We had a nice thread on here 2-3 years ago on the Airflow truck and when I saw this one I thought it would be nice to see if we could get someone closer to the auction to take photos.

Can you imagine the cost to restore one? $200,000 comes to mind but maybe not that much. This seller having the auction has a large Diamond T stash and generally is a collector of the older full size trucks. Still, it appears he restored few of them and now wants to cash out.

I would love to be there and see the action but am too busy to attend.

[BJM]

VanDerBrink Auctions - Yvette VanDerBrink Auctioneer

http://www.vanderbrinkauctions.com/a...l=118&pageno=1

[keiser31]

That International looks like it is a cab added to another Airflow truck...

[36 D2 Coupe]

I just went to the VanDerBrink website - I think they have the whole truck there - just need to swap the tank body off the International onto the chassis shown as jpg001 that has the Airflow cab with a guy standing in front of it and some oddball unit mounted behind it. So you would have to buy two lots to get it all. Still, if you are into heavy trucks, what a way to go! Doing a rough mental tally of the Airflow trucks I am aware of, including this one, there are at least 7 and may be more like 10 or so. There was a real beauty fully restored in Texaco colours in the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit. Hope someone with the passion and the $$$ to finish it gets it.

Jim Hazlewood

[stephen48]

Here is a photo of a Dodge Airflow in the Richardson Truck Collection in Invercargill, NZ. It is in perfect condition having been fully restored by the collection.

[BJM]

Jim and others

I liken the curiosity and coolness of Airflow trucks to the GM Futureliners buses. Normally, I would have no interest in a bus but the Futureliners had a unique place in 50's Americana.

Ditto the Airflow trucks. They were styled to be optimistic about the state of truck travel and it's influence on a changing American landscape. Ultimately they did not catch on but we can be thankful for the few that remain as icons of a now 75-80 year ago period of transportation architecture.

[BJM]

Here is a photo of a Dodge Airflow in the Richardson Truck Collection in Invercargill, NZ. It is in perfect condition having been fully restored by the collection.

Stephen - You are lucky to be able to go there and see that one. I would pay for a nice 11 x 14 photo of it, frame quality.

[stephen48]

Stephen - You are lucky to be able to go there and see that one. I would pay for a nice 11 x 14 photo of it, frame quality.

Hi BJM . I took that photo in 2006 before I changed to digital.The photo I posted was scanned from a 6 x 4 print.

I will locate the negative a put it through my scanner at high resolution to see what the quality is like.It was taken with a good camera although todays quality digital ones give a superior result.

I will let you know the result.

Incidentally there is an excellent book available on the Richardson truck collection called"Trucks a Vintage Collection"' It has good coverage on this particular airflow as well as the rest of the collection.

[BJM]

Hi BJM . I took that photo in 2006 before I changed to digital.The photo I posted was scanned from a 6 x 4 print.

I will locate the negative a put it through my scanner at high resolution to see what the quality is like.It was taken with a good camera although todays quality digital ones give a superior result.

I will let you know the result.

Incidentally there is an excellent book available on the Richardson truck collection called"Trucks a Vintage Collection"' It has good coverage on this particular airflow as well as the rest of the collection.

Stephen, When things calm down a bit this fall (opposite seasons for us here versus NZ) I will try to get that book and see if I can purchase a photo, suitable for framings. That shot you have - would be perfect. I'll never own an Airflow truck. I would imagine it would take at least $50,000 and probably $100,000 to properly restore the one at auction. Heck, as others have noted, one would need to buy 2 trucks??

Plus space to restore etc. It would consume one's budget and life SO if I could get an 11 x 14, and like I said your photo is ideal because of all the Texaco signage in the back - then I would pay a tidy sum for that. That photo to me is art, it conjures up a good feeling just like some folks collect copies of the masters (artists) prints.

[West Peterson]

The Airflow sold for $30,000 and the International sold for $6,750. One wonders if the same person bought both trucks. I'd hate to think that someone spent $30,000 and found out later that a HUGE portion of the value of the vehicle was bought by someone else for only $6,750.

[keiser31]

My friend Tom Sehloff made some nice cast iron toys of the Airflow truck....very heavy units.

[JohnArthurSpinks]

Hi Keiser 31,Does Tom wish to sell one of the Airflow Trucks and if so how much??CheersJohn SpinksAussie C9 Airflow Coupe

[keiser31]

I believe he has some more. His number is (541)621-9013 in southern Oregon.