The Chrysler Airflite was a concept car shown at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show. Built on a shortened version of the LX platform that later served the Chrysler 300, it combined the looks of a sporting coupé with the practicality of a four-door saloon, and several of its styling cues reached production on the 2007 Chrysler Sebring.
Chrysler Airflite at a glance
| Type | concept car |
|---|---|
| Shown | 2003 Geneva Motor Show |
| Platform | shortened Chrysler LX |
| Engine | 90-degree V6 |
| Body | four-door coupé-style saloon |
| Styling sources | Chrysler Crossfire and Chrysler Pacifica |
| Wheels | seven-spoke, derived from the Crossfire |
| Interior | central spine running from dashboard to rear |
| Production influence | 2007 Chrysler Sebring |
| Name origin | Nash Airflyte of 1949 |
This page is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Airflite concept.
History of the Chrysler Airflite
Design
The Airflite was created as a design study: its looks combined a sporty two-door profile with the room and function of a four-door saloon. Most of the front and rear styling came from the Chrysler Crossfire, including the seven-spoke road wheels and the satin-trimmed windscreen, while the overall shape also blended elements of the Chrysler Pacifica. It was built on a shortened version of Chrysler’s LX platform, the rear-wheel-drive architecture used by the Chrysler 300, and was powered by a 90-degree V6 whose power and torque figures Chrysler never published.
Interior
The cabin was spacious and upmarket, with a dominant central spine running from the dashboard all the way to the back and a floor stepped up behind the rear seats to create a raised load area. The design approach was to give a coupé-like exterior without losing the usefulness of a four-door.
Legacy and the name
Major styling cues from the Airflite eventually reached the 2007 Chrysler Sebring saloon. The name itself is a variation on Airflyte, the word Nash used for the functional styling and monocoque construction of its 1949 model, a car with a roomy interior whose aerodynamic shape was developed in a wind tunnel to cut drag; Nash later merged with Hudson to form American Motors, which Chrysler acquired in 1987.
Design and features
- Four-door coupé: sporting two-door proportions with the practicality of four doors.
- Crossfire-derived details: seven-spoke wheels and a satin-trimmed windscreen came from the smaller sports car.
- Shortened LX platform: the rear-wheel-drive base later used by the Chrysler 300.
- Central spine interior: one continuous element from dashboard to rear, with a raised cargo floor.
- Production influence: styling cues carried over to the 2007 Chrysler Sebring.
Chrysler Airflite versions
- Airflite concept (2003): the single show car, powered by a 90-degree V6.
- 2007 Chrysler Sebring: the production saloon that adopted several of its styling cues.
The Airflite used a shortened version of the platform under the Chrysler 300 and borrowed its detailing from the Chrysler Crossfire; its cues reached the Chrysler Sebring. More cars are in the Chrysler collection.
Video: 2003 Chrysler Airflite
Video by Sistemas Normales on YouTube.
Sources
- Chrysler Airflite, English Wikipedia: design, platform, engine, influence
- Chrysler Airflite, Wikimedia Commons: photographs
