A 1936 DeSoto Airflow is an extremely rare car in 2026, because they only built 4750 four-door sedans 90 years ago.
That means very few survived.
This ’36 DeSoto Airflow not only survived—it came back in a way that no other Airflow ever did and it’s called Amelia.
Jerry Sutherland
Clancy Adams became a fan of the Airflows years ago when he saw his first one. He bought this Airflow from the legendary Stan Reynolds of the Reynolds Museum in 2002 for what Clancy called, “a trade/cash swap”.
Most guys would consider something like an LS or 3G hemi for this car, but Clancy took a different path. He explained how he, “Found the wrecked MB 230 TE euro station wagon in a wrecking yard for a real good price. I measured the wheelbase and track width, and it was within an inch of perfect for the Airflow”.
Those numbers represent the kind of math that really adds up in a resto-mod project, so Clancy dove in and started the build. He clearly went by the numbers, “I had to channel it 4” over the MB chassis to get the dash height right. Also had to widen the lower door pillars 2” on each side, and trim 4” off the bottom of the Airflow’s front and rear. To get the fenders to fit right I had to taper cut all four 2” from front to rear for fronts, rear to front for rears”.
There were other modifications to make this DeSoto function as a touring machine. For example, Clancy dumped the vent windows and the front windshield in favor of one-piece smoked glass for the sides and two-piece glass for the windshield.
The interior was redone recently, so the DeSoto has a brand-new look.
Clancy also built custom fender skirts and running boards for the Airflow because he wanted to put a stamp on the custom build. Clancy said, “The final pieces are the laser printed trim strips for the skirts and the printed Amelia logo on the trunk lid”. There is a full Mercedes floorpan in the DeSoto to make the car a true blend of Mercedes and ‘36 DeSoto.
This Airflow has a Mercedes 230 engine with a four-speed transmission, so it’s light years ahead of the stock flathead from the factory. Clancy changed out the fuel injection for a 2-barrel carb from a 302 Ford, so this car is amazingly simple under the hood.
The Airflow was flat black until 2022, then it was taken to another level of paint. There was a crash in 2023, so it took another year to fix and repaint this classic. In total, the car has been repainted three times over the years.
The last question is simple. Was it worth it? Clancy answered the question this way.
It drives, stops and steers as well as any Mercedes on the road. The car will never be sold; it’s a family heirloom that will be passed down.
Clancy Adams
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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