DeSoto's plain-looking Airstream outsold its own futuristic, streamlined Airflow stablemate by three to one in 1935 — buyers chose the ordinary-looking car over the more advanced one.
Lead trim: Airstream 241.5 cu in Chrysler Straight-6
DeSoto SixSF · 1935–1936
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a DeSoto Six yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactDeSoto's plain-looking Airstream outsold its own futuristic, streamlined Airflow stablemate by three to one in 1935 — buyers chose the ordinary-looking car over the more advanced one.
The DeSoto Series SF Airstream (S-1 for 1936) was built for model years 1935 and 1936 alongside the streamlined Airflow, the modernised DeSoto Six Series SD, to recapture the market share lost when DeSoto offered only the Airflow in 1934 (20,784 Airstreams sold in 1935 against 6,797 Airflows). Solidly built and conservatively styled, the 241.5 cu in (4.0 L) Chrysler Straight-6 Airstream had an all-steel superstructure resting on a frame (unlike the Airflow's unibody), Chrysler's "Floating Power" rubber engine mounts and a 118 in wheelbase; a 4-door sedan was US$795 against US$1,015 for the Airflow. In 1936 the Airstream was split into Deluxe (one-piece windshield) and Custom trims, and a Custom Traveler on a stretched 130 in wheelbase began DeSoto's profitable relationship with the taxicab industry; 1936 sales were 38,938, of which 33,938 Airstreams. The Six nameplate returned in 1937 with the Series S-3.
Collectors Spotted in the DeSoto Six Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the DeSoto Six yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airstream 241.5 cu in Chrysler Straight-6 | 1935–1936 | 4.0 L Inline-6 | 100 hp | 185 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
DeSoto's plain-looking Airstream outsold its own futuristic, streamlined Airflow stablemate by three to one in 1935 — buyers chose the ordinary-looking car over the more advanced one.
DeSoto's very first model year, 1929, set a US first-year production record of 81,065 cars — a record that stood for 31 years until the 1960 Ford Falcon finally broke it.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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