Chassis No. 6597700
Engine No. CU6160

Chrysler's Airflow was a groundbreaking creation, blending advanced design and technology. Despite its revolutionary features, it struggled due to its ambitious approach. Today, collectors prize these cars for their forward-thinking design, which influenced modern automotive engineering.

The Airflow owes much to engineer Carl Breer, part of Chrysler's "Three Musketeers" with Owen Skelton and Fred Zeder. Its streamlined shape emerged from pioneering wind tunnel research, while its semi-unitary chassis and “Safety All Steel Body” drew inspiration from aircraft design. An eight-cylinder engine placed over the front axle enabled a spacious passenger compartment within the wheelbase, ensuring a smooth ride. Introduced at the 1934 New York Auto Show, Chrysler offered an impressive six Airflow series including the CU Coupe, the production of which amounted to a mere fraction of the still rare six-place sedan.

As evidenced by its large, arching “waterfall” front grille this 1934 Coupe hails from the inaugural Airflow model year before a light redesign for 1935. Furthermore, it is one of very few CU Coupes extant with some estimates placing those remaining in the low double digits. This Airflow Coupe benefits from an older, high-quality photo-documented restoration that continues to present nicely. Inside and out, the quality of the Salon Brown Poly paint shows only light checking evidenced on the upper surfaces while the Bedford Cord Broadcloth interior remains in excellent, virtually as-restored condition. The odometer shows a total of 4,571 miles, likely the total since the comprehensive restoration. Prior to joining the Academy of Art University Collection in 2009, this rare first-year Airflow Coupe is noted to have been on display at the world-famous Petersen Museum and, more recently, under the stewardship of AAU, it has been shown at the 2017 Hillsborough Concours. This streamlined, Art Deco—yet very American—Coupe is offered with an owner's manual, period factory literature and advertising materials, and a trunk-mounted spare.