| Automobiles of Arizona Friday, January 18, 2008 |
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| 1941 Chrysler Newport | ||||||||
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Specifications: 143hp, 324 cu. in. inline eight-cylinder engine, three-speed Fluid Drive transmission with overdrive, independent front suspension with coil springs, live axle rear suspension with leaf springs, four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 127.5" Developments at Chrysler in the late 1930s were generally not considered a highpoint in radical automotive design and engineering. Much of the company’s adherence to conventional styling was due in no small part to the failure of the unusual Airflow model. Its design was the product of comprehensive engineering and aerodynamic wind tunnel testing carried out by Chrysler’s ‘Three Musketeers’, Zeder, Breer, and Skelton - three veterans of the automobile industry who came to Chrysler at its inception. They comprised a strong and mutually supportive team that strongly believed in engineering innovation as the basis of a successful car company. As such, they accepted little guidance and even less design input from Briggs Manufacturing and Ray Dietrich at LeBaron. So, upon careful research and analysis, Zeder, Breer, and Skelton determined that an oval, zeppelin-like tapering at the rear would be an ideal shape for the Airflow. The engine was placed over the front axle, instead of directly behind it, allowing for a passenger compartment that was situated between the two axles. This provided for a great amount of interior space and a more comfortable ride for those seated in the rear. Oliver Clark, who had designed the very first Chrysler, was responsible for the Airflow’s groundbreaking, albeit very unusual styling. With flush-mounted headlamps, the hood cascaded into a waterfall-like grille – a design concept supported by Breer and consulting engineer C. Harold Wills. Finally, a one-piece curved windshield was offered on the Custom Imperial variant. Chrysler touted its latest creation as ‘the beauty of nature itself’, while editors at Harper’s Bazaar found it to be ‘breathlessly different-looking’. Unfortunately, any positive praise did not resound with the public, who shunned the car from its inception. Retooling issues had caused production delays, which in turn translated into the public consciousness as a fear of faultiness – a concern that was only exacerbated by companies like General Motors, who claimed the car was unsafe. Ultimately, less than 11,500 Airflows were sold in 1934. Attempts at restyling were undertaken, particularly with the Airstream model, but Chrysler would not return to more conventional designs until 1937. In fact, the failure of the Airflow had little effect upon the conviction of Zeder, Breer, and Skelton that sound engineering and the value it created in reliability and performance was the backbone of a successful automobile company. In their eyes, the Airflow’s dramatically different design and the styling features that accentuated it, failed only because the public was not ready for such a dramatic step forward - a view which had little support at the time but that has since been largely vindicated in the judgment of history. REDIRECTION For most of the late 1930s, Chrysler returned to more conventional styling – a trend that, to some degree, even characterized the company’s formational years. Historically, Chryslers were strong and functional autos with little artistic design influence. Emphasis was placed on superb engineering of athletic cars. Yet, perhaps even Walter P. Chrysler would have preferred a return to daring design principles with elegant coachwork. By the 1930s, however, Mr. Chrysler was in his 60s and in his declining health was no longer the dynamic leader whose mammoth automotive company had survived the Great Depression. He resigned in 1938, and would die less than two years later. Fortunately, in 1932 Mr. Chrysler had the good sense to seek counsel from Ray Dietrich, who was hired to lead the corporate Art & Color Department. Additionally, Briggs Manufacturing Company was employed as the primary body supplier. With Briggs came Ralph Roberts of LeBaron and John Tjaarda and Alex Tremulis on the design staff. In fact, the Bronx-born Dietrich was educated at the Andrew F. Johnson School for coachbuilders and founded LeBaron after cutting his teeth at Brewster and Chevrolet. His talent for attractive and elegant design was undeniable. Upon Mr. Chrysler’s death, however, one would have expected any emphasis on artistic design to fall by the wayside, despite the presence of Dietrich and Roberts. After all, K.T. Teller, who had been company president since 1935 and assumed control after Chrysler’s death, was a manufacturing man who had come up through the ranks as mechanic, inspector, foreman, and manager at Metzger, Hudson, Maxwell, Cole, Buick, and Chevrolet. Keller understood costs, tolerances and scheduling, and his aesthetic inclinations were less apparent in his management style, where his emphasis upon manufacturing, process, and cost control were complemented by the Zeder-Breer-Skelton team and their engineering-first approach. At the same time, however, K.T. Keller assembled a world-class collection of Chinese art and served for several years on the board of the Detroit Institute of Art. Under Keller’s leadership, style encompassed comfort, utility, and practicality. So, while practicality and value characterized Chrysler’s consumer offerings, Keller also recognized Chrysler’s need for exposure in drawing prospective clients, not only at auto shows but also in dealer showrooms. In 1940 he commissioned Briggs Manufacturing to produce two of the most important and historically significant design studies in Detroit history - concepts that remain on par with Harley Earl’s legendary “Y-Job” as breaking the mold of automotive design. One of these show cars was the Thunderbolt, a full-envelope body convertible with the first retractable hardtop. The other was the Newport, a sinuous dual cowl design by LeBaron’s Ralph Roberts. While Thunderbolt’s envelope body was predictive of future design trends, it was Newport that caught the imagination of the public and has retained it ever since. In fact, the initial pitch for the Thunderbolt and Newport was made in 1939 by Alex Tremulis, a promising young designer at Briggs, who later went on to assist in the development of the Tucker Torpedo Sedan. Upon impressing Ralph Roberts, a meeting was scheduled with Keller and Chrysler division president, Dave Wallace, who both gave their go-ahead. By all accounts, the manner in which such a radical idea worked its way up the corporate ladder was quite remarkable. After all, in the late 1930s, the market for custom coachwork had greatly diminished, due to the Depression and the efforts of corporate stylists, such as Harley Earl and Eugene Gregorie. More importantly, the notion of ‘concept cars’ was in its infancy. The Thunderbolt and Newport, by comparison, became two of LeBaron’s most interesting and final endeavors, as the onset of World War II would force the company to ultimately halt production. NEWPORT Newport was a revelation. It was artistically – even whimsically – rendered by Roberts in a nearly-envelope style but with gently outlined sweeping fenders and hidden headlights. To a certain degree, it even hearkened back to the Chrysler Imperials of the 1930s. A small, traditional grille with horizontal bars was complemented by a wider grille aperture between the fenders and, at the rear, a delicate dual bar bumper. The low bodywork featured fully radiused wheel wells in front, skirted rear wheels, and cut-down front doors with adjustable angle windshields for both front and rear compartments. Besides the grille and windshield frames, Newport’s chrome accents were restricted to contoured sill trim. As a result, the shape of the body became the dominant element of interest. There was no top or side windows, as the car was designed as a show piece to be paraded on sunny days only. In total, six Newports were built and only five are known to survive today. Each resides in an esteemed collection, including one in the Harrah’s Collection/National Automobile Museum of Reno, Nevada. Perhaps the most well known example is the one driven in 1941 by A.B. Couture as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500. After the race, Mr. Chrysler himself took ownership of the car and reportedly used it as a personal car for a short while. That particular example remains in private hands and will likely remain so for decades to come. Another well known example, finished in an attractive shade of red, was owned by the legendary Hollywood starlet, Lana Turner. THE FIRST AND THE FINEST The example offered here, chassis C331001, is the first Newport built in the series and quite possible remains the finest and most important of the six. Aside from an older repaint in light yellow, it is completely original and displays only 35,100 miles on its odometer – mileage that is supported by its highly original and excellent driving condition. Equipped with a three-speed Fluid Drive transmission with overdrive, a development not offered until after World War II on production Chryslers, the Newport is capable of speeds over 100 miles per hour. What’s more, its 324 cubic inch, inline eight-cylinder engine is fed by Chrysler Spitfire dual carburetors. The Newport on offer was owned for many years by Paul Stern before changing hands once more and finding its way into its present collection in 2004. It has been carefully preserved and maintained ever since and, with the exception of an outing at the Concours d’Elegance of the Radnor Hunt Club, has been shown relatively little. Besides the paint, every element remains in original condition, right down to the carpets, brown leather interior, and wooden frame, which is free of rotting or any notable deterioration. Aside from pacing the last prewar Indianapolis 500, the six Chrysler Newports highlighted Chrysler’s displays at auto shows and toured important dealer showrooms to generate traffic and recognition of Chrysler vehicles. The fact that at least five of the six have survived is a testament to the high esteem in which both contemporary owners and subsequent collectors have held these unique exercises of design. Highly original coachbuilt automobiles of the early 1940s are extremely rare and tremendously desirable. This 1941 Chrysler Newport Dual Cowl Phaeton is in exceptional condition and, alongside the Chrysler Thunderbolt, occupies an important position in automotive history as one the very first true ‘concept cars’. It will surely make a significant addition to any collection and a welcome participant in the most prestigious of shows and concours events. |
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