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It could have been worse — and was for DeSoto, which banked entirely on Airflows that year (all sixes). And though the cars did lose money, the losses were far from crippling. The Airflow’s most-lasting impact was to discourage Chrysler from fielding anything so adventurous for a very long time. Not until 1955 would the firm again reach for industry design leadership. Yet the Airflow wasn’t nearly the disaster it’s long been portrayed to be. Though Chrysler dropped from eighth to tenth in model-year output for 1932, it went no lower through ’37, the Airflow’s final year, when it rose to ninth.
Styling, directed by young hotshot Ralph Gillies, was in your face and proud of it: blocky, slab sided, and not a little menacing, with a low “chopped-top” roof and a big, square eggcrate grille intended to evoke memories of 1950s letter-series 300s. It was a sweeping departure from cab forward design, and the public loved it. Virtually overnight, the new 300 became one of Detroit’s hottest sellers, flying out the door at a rate matched only by Ford’s redesigned ’05 Mustang — more than 147,000 in the first 13 months of production. It became so popular that fully one fifth of Chrysler Group’s solid $1.7 billion 2005 operating profit came from this one line, according to Business Week.
In the meantime, the firm began losing the key executives who’d helped engineer its early-’80s comeback, the former Iacocca colleagues from Ford who’d been serving as presidents and chairmen of Chrysler Motors. A knowledgeable “car guy” with top-level executive experience at Opel, BMW, and Ford Europe, he knew even better than Iacocca that consumer tastes had changed greatly and that Chrysler had to change with them — fast. First to go was minivan “father” Harold Sperlich in 1988; financial whiz Gerald Greenwald and Bennett Bidwell resigned two years later. Lutz arrived in the nick of time. These departures ushered in Robert Lutz as president of Chrysler Motors in 1988. Three years later, he became overall president of a reunified Chrysler Corporation.
Chrysler further expanded the 300 line for 2007, adding two limousinelike Long Wheelbase models. Of course, nothing is certain in this world, and complacency is an enemy of success, but we hope the 300s are just the first in a long line of great new Chryslers. They suggest a bright future for the marque. Both models were stretched six inches behind the front doors, creating extensive rear legroom. Though our story must end here, the reborn 300s are the kind of Chryslers old Walter P. would endorse: stylish, innovative, solid, and affordable. The 300 Touring Long Wheelbase featured the 3.5-liter V-6, while the 300C Long Wheelbase came with the ubiquitous Hemi V-8. Modified by Accubuilt, an Ohio-based specialty vehicle manufacturer, the cars could be ordered with personalized features such as rear footrests, lighted rear writing tables, 12-volt power ports for computers or cell phones, and reading lights for rear passengers.
Chrome was tastefully handled, superstructures were glassy (especially windshields), and inverted trapezoid grilles conferred an aggressive 300-like appearance. Windsor would also depart for good, after ’61. Prices were just below Imperial’s but about equal to those of the larger Buicks. Returning from ’59 were optional swiveling front seats that pivoted outward through an automatic latch release when a door was opened. Top-liners were confined to six varieties of luxury New Yorker and the 300F. By decade’s end, New Yorker regularly scored over 30,000 annual sales. Wheelbases and engines stood pat for 1960. The Saratoga was in its last year.
Craftsmanship marked a new high for Chrysler and equaled most anything in the near-luxury class, foreign or domestic — let alone the large-sedan competition. Even more spectacular was the 300C SRT-8, arriving in early 2005 as the newest factory hot rod from Chrysler’s Street and Racing Technology shop. All this for $23,000-$34,000. Hunkering a half-inch lower on 20-inch wheels (versus 18s), the SRT-8 packed a much-modified, higher-compression Hemi grown to 6.1 liters (370 cid), 425 horses and 420 pound-feet of twist.
