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BendixSWC

1934 United States Prototype concept car 1 production year
Production1934
Recorded originUnited States
ClassPrototype concept car
Background

The Bendix SWC is a one-of-a-kind, hand-built prototype concept car built in 1934. It is a four-door, five-passenger sedan that was designed by Alfred Ney of the Bendix Corporation in South Bend, Indiana. Although considered a proof-of-concept vehicle rather than a true prototype for future production, the Bendix SWC is regarded as ahead of its time because of its innovative features, incorporating front-wheel drive, four-wheel hydraulic brakes with open drums for better cooling, and four-wheel independent suspension that used A-arms mounted in rubber blocks in place of conventional springs. The styling was similar to other examples of automotive streamlining such as the contemporary DeSoto Airflow and Chrysler Airflow.

Text adapted from “Bendix SWC” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · retrieved 2026-07

Chronology ledger

Dates with their meaning intact

Market model year1934

Exact model year observed in both EPA and Natural Resources Canada data; not a production interval or trim definition.

EPA + Natural Resources Canada1 year