(first posted 6/3/2017) After seeing the explosion of the aftermarket air conditioning sales in the early 1950’s, Detroit decided to get back into the factory air conditioning business in 1953.
At first glance, little appears to have had changed from their prewar offerings. Air conditioning was still only available on high-end models: Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and Buick at GM, Chrysler, DeSoto and Lincoln at their respective makers. The systems, now made in-house instead of by Bishop and Babcock, were still trunk mounted. These early A/C systems still ran independently of the heating and defrosting systems. And the systems still ran continuously, requiring removing the belt to disengage the compressor.
1953 Cadillac Air Conditioner. Note the clear ducts delivering cooled air to ceiling mounted diffusers.
However, upon closer examination, one could see incremental improvements being made. The 1953 Cadillac Frigidaire setup, pictured above, featured clear plastic tubes to carry cooled air into the headliner, where it could be better distributed throughout the cabin. This also prevented the rear window from fogging up. This improvement would quickly be copied by other manufacturers for their trunk mounted systems.
1953 Chrysler Airtemp system
And while the B&B system only recirculated interior air, all the 1953 OEM systems blended in outside air with the recirculated interior air, drawing in the fresh air through scoops near the rear window like the one pictured above.
1953 Chrysler Airtemp System
All of the 1953 OEM systems were far more powerful and effective than the pre-war B&B system, sporting larger grilles, blowers, and compressors. The Chrysler Airtemp system was the most powerful of all the early systems, sporting a massive 3/4-ton, dual belt V4 compressor, pictured above.
In 1954, the number of companies offering factory air expanded. Not wanting to be left behind in the luxury car game, Packard offered its first system since 1940. Packard, being too small and financially strapped to develop their own system, sourced their system from Frigikar (which was headed by former Packard engineer Bert J. Mitchell).
Harrison patent filing
At General Motors, there were actually two competing internal divisions working on automotive air conditioning. Frigidaire, who created the trunk-mounted system described above, and Harrison, a division better known for making radiators. Harrison, using their radiator and cooling system experience, designed a condenser with enough airflow that would allow the condenser to be mounted in front of the radiator, while still allowing enough air to reach the radiator for proper engine cooling. They also greatly reduced the size of the compressor, evaporator, and other components, permitting them to be mounted in the engine compartment for the first time.
1954 Pontiac with Air Conditioning. A/C controls are at the top of the dash, heater controls are in the middle
Pontiac was the first to use the Harrison system, making the option available starting on their 1954 eight-cylinder models. The Harrison system was not a fully integrated system: The A/C still operated independently of the heater, and with separate controls and air outlets for each system. No matter: The Harrison system was far superior to the Frigidaire system, and it would soon be adopted across the GM line. In a bit of corporate one-upmanship, Harrison eventually took over all the automotive air conditioning duties for GM, while the Frigidaire name was relegated to home appliance use.
However, the big news in 1954 was the introduction of the Nash All-Weather Eye system, the first cowl mounted fully integrated heating and cooling system. Having the heat and air conditioning system combined meant that they could both be operated by a single set of controls. This also allowed for heated and cooled air to be blended together, and allow the production of air at just about any desired temperature.
Nash-Kelvinator Patent Filing
The idea for fully integrated air conditioning was not new. Nash-Kelvinator actually filed for a patent in 1938, which was granted in 1942. Obviously, World War II intervened, preventing Nash from doing anything with the patent. However, this work did give Nash a head start, allowing Nash to be first to market with the first truly modern climate control system.
This was also the first system to incorporate an electromagnetic clutch on the compressor, allowing the compressor to be engaged and disengaged without having to remove the belt. This essentially set the template for modern automotive HVAC that is still in use today. At $395 (about $3,500 today), it was hundreds of dollars cheaper than the less sophisticated systems from GM, Packard, or Chrysler. And Nash made A/C available across their entire product line, from their entry-level Rambler to the top of the line Ambassador. Automotive air conditioning had truly arrived.
1955 Hudson Air Conditioning Brochure
1955 was the year that factory air conditioning finally went mainstream, being available for the first time on new cars from Chevrolet, Ford, Hudson, Mercury, Studebaker, Dodge, and Plymouth. Sales were low at first (892 Plymouth and around 400 Chevrolets sold with A/C in 1955), but A/C was now available to anyone who wanted it. Dodge and Plymouth used the trunk-mounted setups, as did Mercury. However, Ford and Chevrolet both used front cowl mounted systems, with Chevrolet using the Harrison system that Pontiac had started using a year earlier. The switchover to 12V electrical systems made it easier to use electromagnetic clutches, so most systems started sporting these as well.
For 1955, Studebaker offered a trunk-mounted unit (most likely the same Frigikar system used by Packard), for their V8 powered cars as both a factory and dealer installed option. Interestingly, they made it available as a retrofit to 1953 and 1954 V8 sedans as well, as shown in the ad above.
1956 Studebaker President with Factory A/C (note clear ducts on rear parcel shelf)
By 1956, improvements were occurring rapidly, as most manufacturers were now on their second-generation systems. By now, many had switched over to integrated cowl mounted systems (after having just appeared for the first time two years earlier). Studebaker was one of the few manufacturers still offering trunk-mounted systems.
1957 Continental Mark II. Ceiling mounted diffusers for trunk-mounted A/C system.
By 1957, the only manufacturers still using trunk-mounted evaporators in 1957 were Lincoln, Continental, Studebaker, and Packard (whose 1957 cars were just rebadged Studebakers). By 1958, even these holdouts had switched over to cowl-mounted A/C units. meanwhile, the 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham became the first car with standard air conditioning. The Modern Era of automotive air conditioning had truly arrived.
It took long time to find a solution before being able to disengage the compressor with an electromagnetic clutch . A first on the ’54 Nash .However, looking at my snow blower’s simple auger belt engagement system, a pressure idler pulley, I don’t understand why it wasn’t used sooner.
Here is a link to the serviceman’s training manual for the 1953-54 Packard Air Conditioning system.
https://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/1953-54_AC_TrainingManual.pdf
The document specifically references the 26th series (1953 model year) Packards
I have a mid 1950s Nash air conditioning flyer packed away somewhere. When I first saw it, I was amazed that their system worked off a single controller. Which seemed extremely advanced. My own 1963 Imperial Crown coupe, owned from 2005-7, was quiet and efficient with its dual evaporators and ducts in both the dash and through the parcel shelf. I used to tell people it was like being in a department store: draftless cooling with no noticeable sound to give it away.
A/C fun over the years.
Ford CL9000 system, three evaporator cores, three control panels running a vacuum operated system. No vacuum source with a diesel engine. The solution was a air siphon to generate vacuum. GM also used these vacuum siphons on some medium duty trucks with A/C. Two problems with these siphons. If you had a vacuum leak somewhere the siphon would eventually drain part of your air system when the truck was off. Solution was either find the leak or put an ignition controlled shut off solenoid in the air feed line to the siphon.
The other problem was particularly bad, the siphon had a rubber disk in it, if the disk failed it allowed 120 psi air system pressure into the vacuum system. This would cause multiple vacuum lines to blow off or split. Had that happen on a CL9000 with the three control heads. I think it to me most of the day to get the system put back together and functioning correctly.
In 1980 GMC switched all three heavy trucks to the Cycling Clutch A/C system, same system used in the pickups. Previously the three trucks all used different valving controlling the flow of Freon in the A/C system. One oddity with the switch was the performance of the system in the Brigadiers. The cooling was just not up to standard. Never did get a solution to the problem. Some of the bigger fleets spec’d a separate A/C system. These trucks had the evaporator and circulation fan mounted in a housing between the seats. These units would turn the cab into a freezer. I don’t recall if the system used a condenser unit on the roof of the cab or the normal condenser in front of the radiator.
Last one, my 78 Fairmont Futura. Summer road trip from Minneapolis, MN to Omaha, NE. Black Futura, hot sunny day, A/C stopped working, stopped at a roadside rest for a break from the heat and check out the A/C. A/C had never been a problem, car was only 3-4 years old. Opened the hood to check it out. What a surprise, the suction line was totally encased in ice, one side of the compressor was encased in ice. Black car, near 100 degree heat and all that under the hood heat and there’s ice?
So we let it thaw out and continued on our journey. When we started to see “fog” coming out of the dash vents we would switch off the air for a bit let it thaw out and repeat.
Later on I replaced the suction throttling valve and back to normal.
I remember riding in a 56 Bel Air that had factory back in the 60,s first time I rode in a car that old that had that feature.
In 1956 Cadillac offered air conditioning in their convertibles for the first time.
But the units were trunk-mounted and recirculation-only. In other words, there were no scoops as in closed cars, with the intake grills being right next to the outlets inside the top well. So it only worked with the top up. I guess Cadillac had not realized yet how nice it can be to drive with the top down and the A/C on, a problem that was fixed in 1957 when they switched to an integrated cowl system with dash mounted outlets.
Being an expensive system, most air conditioned 1956 convertibles are understandably top-of-the-line Eldorados. Actually, Elvis had one that was originally white and then he had it painted purple after the color of some grapes he reportedly smashed onto a fender when he took it to a body shop to have it painted. I assume that must be the reason why most of the photos one can find of that car show it with the top up. The fact that the car was rendered inoperative by Elvis having left it open in the rain, which destroyed the whole electrical system, prompting him to sell the car, I find quite ironic.
But there was of course a “cheaper” convertible: the Series 62. And Air Conditioning was available on it as well. I guess not very many people would have been interested in adding a super expensive option to a “not-top-of-the-line car” (maybe they liked the red lucite “rudder” fins better than the Eldorado’s shark fins) so I only know of three such cars… And I have one of them.