We’ver covered a number of 1930s streamlined trucks, but this was a new one for me. But it shouldn’t have been surprising, since Chrysler pioneered streamlined design in the US with its Airflow cars starting in 1934. Apparently some Dodge truck clients liked the look, and wanted it on their trucks. These were mainly Texaco and Esso, but a few found their way into the hands of other fuel companies which wanted something flashy to be seen fueling the sleek new airplanes at the airport. So a modest number of these, custom built, were made between the years of 1934 and 1939. A few Airflow beer and beverage deliver trucks also were built, rolling advertisements for their products.
At least one of them is still around, at the Henry Ford Museum, looking very much like this one, but in full blazing color:
This one has some slight differences, but it’s pretty close. The cabs were built by Chrysler and the bodies by suppliers of tanker bodies, suitably streamlined. Under the hood of these four-ton rated trucks was a 309 CID Chrysler six, rated at 95 hp, although the last few versions in 1939 had the new 331 CID six, the gas version of the diesel we saw yesterday. Whether there were any diesel versions is unknown.
If you want one, here’s one available on ebay for $16.99, brand new too.
Sweet .
In 1972 I was lucky enough to drive a 1934 DeSoto Air Flow sedan , it not only looked good but was a nice driver too .
-Nate
Cool trucks. Thanks.
I think this Airflow-style front end with the flat grille that slopes to the rear as it rises looks a lot better on a big truck like this than it did on the cars. The Vee grilles (like on the Lincoln Zephyr) looked far nicer on the cars.
I love those streamlined trucks of the 1930s.
As stated there were other fine examples of Art Deco truck design. Here is a swoopy Miller beer truck! 🙂 DFO
There is a restored Texaco version in the truck museum, located behind the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum in Auburn, IN.
I’m filing this under “Why Can’t We Have Things That Look Like This Any More?”, along with the butterfly-hood IH Loadstar and the Nelson Dial-A-Rain sprinkler (amongst many others).
Yes Ive seen one close up, theres a restored tanker at Transport world in Invercargill NZ cool looking trucks
Ha! I just logged in to say the same thing and add an almost identical photo! I was there last August, wish they had brighter lights shining on it but was still amazing up close. The shape would make an awesome fantastic motorhome conversion!
I’ve got a Matchbox-sized one made by Lledo. Here, I have it posed in front of a “Doodlebug” tanker truck coin bank.
Here it is!
“Whether there were any diesel versions is unknown.”
As I recall, fuel transporters were early adopters of diesel power, since compression ignition engines eliminated external plug wires. Given the nature of gasoline, they worked hard to avoid random sparks…
There is also one in the NATMUS museum in Auburn.
Several detail photos of Henry Ford Museum’s example here (says it has the 331): https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/151653#slide=gs-214746
I just love these, and will have to seek it out next time I’m in Dearborn.
And HFM also has this photo, which begs for colorizing, I suppose:
The Airflow sheet metal makes for a great truck cab. Have to wonder why it wasn’t used more extensively since they already had the tooling.
I cant find a picture, but this truck belongs next to a DC-3.
I don’t remember where I got this photo.
Try this again.
There is one at the Vintage Truck Museum in Cloverdale, BC that is being restored. The tank was missing and before the museum took possession of the truck a more basic tank was installed. The volunteers at the Cloverdale museum are working on restoring it back to an Art Deco style tank like that original that was produced by a company in Oregon.