1930s Streamline Automobiles
In the 1930s the airplane symbolized all that was
modern and up to date. Smooth, aircraft-inspired styling was applied
to everything from refrigerators to pencil sharpeners. The 1939 Packard
(top) incorporated flowing fenders, roofline, and headlights, but retained
an upright grille. The 1934 Chrysler Airflow (below) was actually designed
with the aid of a wind tunnel. However, its blunt, drooping nose did
not fit the public’s image of what a streamlined vehicle should
look like, and the car sold poorly.
Images
from the Collections of The Henry Ford. 1) Automobile Product Literature.
Packard 1939, 2) Automobile Product
Literature. Chrysler 1934.
