Matt Harwood Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 (edited) OK, Chrysler guys, why have you been holding out on me and not telling me how AWESOME the Airflow is? I've always admired the design, but today I had the opportunity to drive this freshly restored 1934 Town Sedan, and I'm flat-out amazed by how modern it feels and how entertaining it is to drive. I think I put about 15 of the 69 miles it's had since the full professional frame-off restoration was completed, and I am thoroughly impressed.Yes, I used the term frame-off, because while the Airflow is rumored to be a unit-body car, it's not. That rumor comes from the fact that the body is made from a steel cage with the body panels welded to it, however the floorboards are wood and it's still sitting on a conventional Chrysler frame. But that safety cage construction pays big dividends on the road, because there's not a squeak or rattle anywhere in the car and it just whispers down the road. And as you'd expect, there's not much wind noise thanks to the shape. The color is called either Moonglo or Sultana Sand depending on whose color chart you're using, and the light cream looks wonderful on the Airflow shape, giving it a light-hearted feel rather than the formal seriousness usually associated with them. The Town Sedan style is relatively rare in the world of Airflows, and indicates the blanked-out rear quarter windows, and I really like the look a great deal. It seems to enhance the swoopy design, especially with the rear-mounted spare. All the chrome is fresh, the paint and bodywork were professionally restored to a very high standard, and even the grille and hood ornament show exquisite detail.As stunning as the bodywork is, the interior is equally amazing. Trimmed in brown broadcloth, it clearly draws inspiration from aircraft design, particularly with the exposed tube frames for the front seat. Everything inside is new and everything works, including the massive speedometer and all the auxiliary gauges. The only thing not functioning is the manual switch for the pretty Art-Deco dome light, and that's only because the striker button on one of the doors was defective and they're waiting for a replacement. There's one especially neat feature on the front windows, too: the vent windows open traditionally with a crank, and the main window goes up and down in the usual fashion too. But flip the handle near the divider and the two become one, dropping down into the door to leave a frameless and vent-window-less opening. Too cool!The Chrysler Airflows received various versions of the corporate straight-8, with this one displacing 299 cubic inches and making 119 horsepower. In truth, it feels like more because of the torque, and having driven this one personally, I will attest that performance is more than adequate and handling is quite lively on the road. Chryslers have always used hydraulic brakes, and the Bendix binders on this one are remarkably powerful thanks to a vacuum assist. The engine bay is highly detailed for show with all the correct bits and pieces. It starts quickly and idles smoothly, and while our test drive in 40 degree weather didn't tax the cooling system, it stayed well on the low side thanks to a massive radiator. This is a California car originally, so there is no heater, but that also means the chassis and underbody are spotless.The restoration cost in excess of $120,000 and it shows in every way, and unlike most show cars, it has been mechanically sorted so everything works and it drives right. The car has not been publicly shown yet, so it is poised to start collecting the big trophies at all the major events. Quite possibly the finest CU Town Sedan in existence, it's a fantastic car that will definitely make a stir everywhere it goes. Beautiful to look at and just as beautiful to drive, I can't say enough wonderful things about this car. You can count me as an Airflow fan. Available for $69,900, which is about half the cost of restoration, and worth every penny. Thanks for reading! Edited December 19, 2012 by Matt Harwood typo (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 More amazing details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Here I go again with a comment, but holy cr_p, I've never seen a town sedan before!!! Nor even knew it was ever offered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Pretty cool indeed. Equivalent to a club sedan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Yes. It's more of a club sedan than a town sedan. Usually (semantics again!) town sedans didn't have nearly that big of a blind quarter. I forgot to mention that I like it. It has most of the design features that make the coupe look so nice, but in a more formal way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 34Airflow Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 Matt,This is a beautiful car. My brother and I own a 34 Chrysler Airflow CU. I have seen pictures, but not any actual Towne Sedans. We would love to see this car at the Airflow Clubs National meet in Dayton, Ohio in July 2013. This will be the clubs 50th meet and we are trying to get 50 Airflows to the meet. It would really be interesting to see all the differnt models on display in one place. Ray Corder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Gelinas (XP-300) Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 (edited) Stunning, just stunnng. Oh yes! Did I say I like it? Edited December 25, 2012 by xp-300 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 This car looks similar to one that was sold at World Wide Auction over Labor Day weekend. There is a pix in the Jan 27 issue of Old Car weekly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bostonhemi Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 By far the finest Airflow I've ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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