Thursday, August 16, 2018
GM Airflow?
Dodge Airflow trucks are fairly well known but still mysterious. From 1934 to 1940, Chrysler made about 300 of these. All were special orders for fleets, all were tankers. Some for gasoline, some for beer or milk. They came in several sizes and the styling was entirely different from regular Dodge trucks. Why did Chrysler, the master of uniformity and interchangeability, decide to spend massive amounts of design and tooling money for such a low-volume item? I haven't read a good explanation.
Now this, from a 1939 Billboard issue:
Note that these are "1935, 1936, 1937 models." Not just a one-off. Was this GM's attempted answer to the Airflow truck? It seems to borrow a lot of the styling. The internal projection screen on the "hydraulic raised roof" is even more astonishing. A drive-in screen for a drive-in theater!
Later: This design was predictive. If you look only at the lower light-colored 'fenders' piece, you've got a '49 Buick.
Dodge Airflow trucks are fairly well known but still mysterious. From 1934 to 1940, Chrysler made about 300 of these. All were special orders for fleets, all were tankers. Some for gasoline, some for beer or milk. They came in several sizes and the styling was entirely different from regular Dodge trucks. Why did Chrysler, the master of uniformity and interchangeability, decide to spend massive amounts of design and tooling money for such a low-volume item? I haven't read a good explanation.
Now this, from a 1939 Billboard issue:
Note that these are "1935, 1936, 1937 models." Not just a one-off. Was this GM's attempted answer to the Airflow truck? It seems to borrow a lot of the styling. The internal projection screen on the "hydraulic raised roof" is even more astonishing. A drive-in screen for a drive-in theater!
Later: This design was predictive. If you look only at the lower light-colored 'fenders' piece, you've got a '49 Buick.Labels: Alternate universe
¶ 9:59 AM
