Rare 1935 DeSoto Airflow Found in a Garage Hides Modern Crate Engine Under the Hood

The first production car to feature a streamlined body (alongside the Tatra T77), the Airflow debuted in 1934. Its flowing lines, incorporated fenders, and inset headlamps made it look radically different than anything else on the road at the time.

People went wild and Chrysler received more than 15,000 orders after the 1934 New York Auto Show debut, which was nearly half the total sales of Chrysler and DeSoto in 1933. However, while the Airflow was received with great enthusiasm, its unusual shape, production problems and delays, and unfounded rumors that the car was unsafe, prevented it from becoming successful in the long run.

Chrysler discontinued the Airflow in 1937, while the shorter-wheelbase, more affordable DeSoto version was retired in 1936. In all, the company built about 55,000 Airflows under both brands.

Come 2022 and the Airflow has evolved into a full-blown collector's item, with restored, low-mileage examples selling for six-figure sums at public auctions. The coupe models are the ones that fetch the bigger bucks, because not only they're harder to find, but also look more stylish.

The same applies to the DeSoto version. While four-door sedans usually change hands for less than $30,000, two-door coupes in Concours-ready condition go for more than $100,000. How rare are these cars? Well, less than 10% of the DeSotos sold from 1934 to 1936 were two-door versions.

The 1935 Airflow you're about to see below is one of those cars. Documented by "Bobs Classic Cars & Parts," the DeSoto was found resting in a garage alongside a 1954 Dodge Royal Indy 500 Pace Car edition.

The Airflow looks downright fantastic for an 87-year-old classic (as of 2022) and appears to be highly original on the outside. However, this DeSoto is fitted with a modern drivetrain under the shell. Originally sold with a 241-cubic-inch (4.0-liter) inline-six, this Airflow now relies on a Mopar crate engine. The mill in question is a 360-cubic-inch (5.9-liter) V8 paired to an equally modern gearbox.

There's no word as to how powerful the V8 is, but it's safe to assume that it cranks out way more than the original inline-six, rated at 100 horsepower and 250 pound-feet (339 Nm) of torque back in the day.

I know, this is the kind of classic that should be restored to original specification and paraded at cars and coffee events, but it turns out that the owner made the swap to enjoy it without the issues associated with really old engines for a while. It's unclear whether he plans to put the original drivetrain back in, but the swap is definitely reversible.

And hopefully, it will happen sooner than later, because this Airflow coupe is quite rare. The host claims that this Airflow is one of only 70 coupes built in 1935. This bit of information is incorrect though, as DeSoto actually made 418 two-door models that year (out of a total of 6,797 Airflows produced). But that number still makes it a hard-to-find classic, especially since many of these DeSoto have been abandoned decades ago.