(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.
Studebaker-Packard sourced their air conditioning units from NOVI, another popular aftermarket manufacturer of air conditioning systems. My dad had one of the couple of hundred 1955 Studebakers so ordered with this system. It was a rather loaded up President sedan that was originally the personal car of the owner of Nance Studebaker in Charlotte, NC. The Nances also had a loaded ’56 President Classic with air conditioning. The system worked fairly well as I remember, and still working when it was traded along with a ’49 Studebaker Champion for a new ’71 Chrysler Newport. Studebaker finally went with an underdash unit beginning in 1958, but I have seen several NOVI trunk units in ’58s as well. Since the units could be installed at the dealer level, I am sure there was a surplus of these for some time to come.
NOVI came up several times during my research for part 2. They we probably the largest aftermarket air conditioning company located outside of Dallas/Fort Worth.
I’ve been on the edge of my seat waiting for Novi to get a tip o’ the hat. FWIW the Novi trunk units lived on as auxiliary rear AC packages long after cowl air had well taken over.
This series is a great read. Thanks.
Great historical overview – enjoyed all three parts – thanks. Jim.
Which year then did the take rate for AC become so high that economies of scale dictated that it would be optional on very few cars?
I seem to recall that as recently as about 10 years ago many of the “work truck” packages from the big 3 came with “AC delete” but I doubt that’s even true anymore.
Not sure 10 years ago I knew a guy still making a decent living installing after market AC in fleet vehicles, mostly econolines and medium duty trucks. But other then that you don’t see many non AC vehicles after 2000.
When I was working for Nissan in 2008, you could get a base 4 cyl Frontier without AC (no radio, either) and a base Versa (10K) without AC. Nissan didn’t offer kits for dealerships, all I could find were automotive air conditioning shops that would charge us $2500 parts and labor to install AC.They wouldn’t just sell the kit, but no one in our shop would have been interested in doing an AC install anyway.
I think AC now is standard on Versa, not sure if Nissan still offers stripper Frontiers w/o AC.
So Chevrolet used the Harrison system but marketed it as “Frigidaire?” I imagine the engineers at Harrison weren’t too happy about that, but it does make sense from a marketing point of view. You don’t hear it so much nowadays, but Frigidaire was one of those ubiquitous brand names that people used to describe a type of product, like Kleenex for a paper tissue. Even if you had a Kelvinator, you called it a Frigidaire! (Gotta love the name Kelvinator, and the way it sort of implies that your fridge is so powerful, it can cool your food down to absolute zero.) Great series of articles, BTW. I’m hoping there’s a Part Four in the can. It’s really something how we take air conditioned cars for granted now. Even here in the temperate Pacific Northwest where you don’t really *need* aircon the way they do down south, people don’t want to do without it.
Phil covers it in his post below, and it confirms what I always noticed with GM cars of the early ’70s: Harrison supplied the evaporators and condensers, while Frigidaire supplied the compressor.
A good example of GM allowing the most capable division to supply the components, and not let internal politics get in the way. It’s probably no coincidence that many felt that GM air conditioners of the time set the standard.
My 77 Chevelle has Harrison branded Evaporator and Condensors, and Harrison stickers on the HVAC under-hood box, but a Fridigaire A6 compressor. With the system on, it brings new meaning to the phrase ‘paid-for air’ as its a big performance hit and fuel mileage hit (3-5mpg loss)
Passengers always complain that it’s too cold in that car, and I’ve had to ‘modify’ it to allow the fan speed to be modulated and disable the heater core shutoff in Max position to allow for the recirculation mode to work like new cars. Normally it turns off the coolant flow to the heater and overrides the fan switch to the highest speed and it 10 minutes or so of that mode, it’s about 50 degrees in the car. and if left on for a long trip, you can get the inside of the car down to about 38 degrees on a 100 degree day.
New cars take longer to cool down that far, though they are a whole lot more reliable.
I remember my youth in the 60’s and 70’s, the General had the best A/C systems. Ford was hit or miss. I remember our family first car with A/C a ’67 Ford Country A/C could get that car meat locker cold even the back seat whereas the next car a ’69 Country Squire wagon seemed to just have adequate A/C. The three in dash vents were low on the dash. Ford adopted GM style eyeball vents on the left and right with your standard rectangle vent in the middle. This the Ford Front Room cars. Our next car a behomouth Buick Deuce andna quarter had rocking A/C. I remember riding in Mopar cars and the factory A/C didn’t cut it. Still better than no A/C. By the 70’s at least with the big three things equalized. Even Chrysler by the mid 70’s had decent A/C.
The owner of a Chevy-Olds dealer I worked for fancied the Jaguar XJ-S V-12. We had at least two of them on the showroom floor (once he got bored with them), and we’d often raise the hoods to show off the incredibly complicated fuel injection system, and proudly point to the “Harrison Radiator, Division of General Motors” sticker on the A/C compressor.
The compressor was manufactured by Frigidaire. Even the advertisements (“Cool Air By The Carload”) mentioned this with an asterisk… (*Compressor by Frigidaire)
Frigidaire made the compressors and the have a Frigidare label on them
I happened to pick up a pair of Ford owners manuals a few weeks ago for $7 each. One for ’55, the other for ’56. I was actually surprised to see the optional SelectAire A/C on the ’55’s, considering this was the last year for the 6 volt system. It looks like it has fairly modern controls, but the “left air” and “right air” instructions are interesting. It looks like “left air” is the old pull-knob vent under the dash; “right air” is the HVAC air. Also, it looks like there are only a couple dashboard louvres, which are also used for the defroster.
Best things in these manuals are the CONELRAD radio instructions that tell you what to do in case of enemy attack. Different world, the 1950’s. My Honda’s manual is 400 pages long, but it doesn’t tell you what to do when nuked.
I was thinking the same thing about the 6 volt operation of the older cars being a serious impediment to the development of a proper automotive A/C system. It seems coincidental with the switch to 12 volt and I wonder how much of a reason A/C had to do with it.
True story: In 1953 or 1954 my parents friends bought an air conditioned Cadillac and came by to take my parents for a ride. Everyone was a smoker back then and my father had decided to try filter cigarettes. Turns out he was trying them the same day the Caddy arrived. He did not understand them and was lighting the filter. The smell was terrible of course and everyone assumed the cause was the A/C. I am not sure how they figured out it was the burning cigarette filters but they did and wound up loving their air conditioned Cadillac.
Harrison was known to market GM’s air conditioning systems after the early Frigidaire trunk-mounted system but GM still used Frigidaire components and compressors in it’s cars and GM also sold Frigidaire automotive a/c compressors to other manufacturers including Ford and some imports from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s.
GM separated its appliance division and automotive air conditioning in 1975 with a new GM division named Delco Air. But up to the 1975 model year, GM cars still had Frigidaire a/c compressors and control valves along with some Harrison components. If you look at the V.I.R. units and compressor found in the mid-seventies cars, you can see they are still being tagged as Frigidaire.
Here’s the a/c compressor from my 1975 Buick Electra (built in March of 1975):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/33723086@N02/17294889364
And the VIR unit from the same car:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/33723086@N02/17729976210
GM kept making Frigidaire home air conditioners and appliances until 1979, and by the mid-1970s , they had stopped to use their own “Meter Miser” compressors in their home air conditioners as most other a/c manufacturers had already done the same.
Here in Canada, GM Frigidaire has been rebadging Comfort-Aire and Whirlpool air conditioners since 1964, but in the US, they produced their own units until GM sold its appliance division to White Consolidated Industries.
Chrysler had already sold Airtemp home air conditioning to Fedders in 1976 (I’m not sure about what happened to their central heat and a/c systems) and AMC had also sold Kelvinator to WCI. Ford also stopped making Philco (who made home A/C along with appliances and electronics) around the early seventies and WCI also kept the Philco name for some appliances made later.
I collect GM Frigidaire appliances of all kinds but I also have one Airtemp home air conditioner from 1971. https://www.flickr.com/photos/33723086@N02/17193453198/in/album-72157656037106839/
This one wasn’t made at the Dayton or Bowling Green Chrysler Airtemp plant (which Chrysler later sold to GM, now known as the Corvette plant) as it’s a Canadian made unit. It was made in Bramalea Ontario.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/33723086@N02/17336283791/in/album-72157656037106839/
Bramalea is also known for it’s former AMC/Jeep plant but I don’t think it’s related.
My father’s house had an Air Temp furnace installed in 1965. After 51 years of faithful service it was replaced in 2016. Parts just weren’t available to fix it anymore.
That was when a lifetime warranty meant something, not the 8 or so years one seems to get these days. Although not as long lived as yours, my father just replaced the oil furnace at one of his rental properties it was from 1969 and parts were no longer available to fix it. The old stove top and separate range of the same vintage is still working well.
Our 55 house had an airtemp unit in it when we bought in 2002. Replaced in 2005 it still worked but not very efficient. I kept an access door that has a metal airtemp badge on it. Hung it in my workshop.
Our “1966” furnace lasted till “1994”. Don’t remember the brand. The central “a/c” came in “76”; was still in operation in “2000”. House sold in July of that year.
My father overhauled the cylindrical GM Frigidaire compressors back in the 60’s. He had people coming from all over the state (Arkansas) and even out of state because he’d do the overhaul for half the price of a new compressor. I remember seeing Texas license plates on some of the cars he was repairing the A/C on.
He also inaugurated post-production installation of air conditioners in Arkansas with the Mark IV air conditioners which mounted the evaporator and fan on the hump or under the dash. Later models had designs that looked and mounted like a factory unit appeared.
I still have the tools he built to do the job if anyone wants to have a display for an A/C museum.
Tom: A well researched article with much clarification of items I have long wondered about.
Loving the pictures! The roof mounted vents on the Lincoln make it appear to be an elegant way of air distribution.
Will there be a part four of this absorbing article?
I had originally planned on this being a three part series, but there are enough interesting systems out there that I may yet write a fourth part: The left and right evaporator setup of the 1958-60 Lincolns, the dual (front and rear) systems on 1960’s Imperials, etc.
I hope you’re not done yet!
You have yet to cover:
1. Automatic Climate Control systems
2. Dual and multiple systems
3. Electronic control systems (starting in the 1980s)
4. Limousine rear-controlled units
5. HVAC systems controlled by the navigation/info screens on modern cars.
Looking forward to it.
I think one of the first dual zone systems was in the 1991 Buick Park Avenue.
Here’s what the passenger side control looked like. It was located in the door panel.
1955 cadillac had dual zone a/c and heat, my car has it , and it’s for sale by the way
You mean there are separate temperature controls for the driver and front passenger? I’ve seen older cars with front and rear controls, mostly extended sedans that had a separate rear air conditioner but I am not aware of separate driver and front passenger temperature controls being available before the early nineties. Maybe I’m wrong. Please post a picture of your car’s A/C controls!
Bret ~
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That photo takes me back to 1964 when I rode in one of these most school days….
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-Nate
Here’s a link that shows the 1959 Buick “Auto Heat” system:
http://1fine59.com/?p=166
And a picture that shows a 1959 Buick instrument panel with the option.
So 50’s! What was the price difference between Auto heat/no A/C vs. Regular heat with factory A/C?
Full size Chrysler station wagons of all brands also could have dual air, I think generally found in the 9 passenger models. Available in the 1960 to 64 unit body, and then in the 1965 body. Not sure how long after that. With the rear facing third row the unit hung from the ceiling between the heads of the second and third row passengers. Pontiac Trans Sports and I suppose the other 1990-96 GM plastic vans had an optional rear unit also, I think somewhere in the walls behind the second seat. Today’s minivans just all have ducts and grills along the edges of the ceiling, just like the later1950’s trunk AC models only going in the other direction.
Thank you for publishing these articles. I have thought many times myself about writing a similar piece. Early automobile air conditioning fascinates me. In 1953, friends of my parents bought a new ’53 Cadillac so equipped. My mother, now 96, can still recall a July 1953 trip to Myrtle Beach, SC in this car and how people would stare at them sitting in traffic with the windows up, enjoying the cool comfort. It seems that people really paid attention to the fender air scoops and plastic discharge tubes on the rear package shelf that signified the presence of an early a/c equipped car. A car so equipped in those days was really something!
The lincoln reminds me of a trend I’m seeing in Yachts lately where they hide AC outlets behind soffits or lights in the overhead. Instead of directed blasts it’s supposed to make the whole space more even. Plus it looks better. As I recall the VW phaeton had a crazy HVAC system.
Two years ago, I got a stripper ’96 Toyota Tacoma without AC. But these trucks were factory prepped so it could be installed later by the distributor or dealer.
Don’t remember the price for AC when my truck was new. But last year, I found a new Nippondenso Tacoma AC kit advertised online for $1700. Ouch! Obviously, I wasn’t going for that.
This spring, I installed essentially the same system, using parts from salvage-yards, and a new compressor kit and hoses ordered online. It cost me just over $400, but it was worth it!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Back in the ’80’s, factory A/C was still unavailable on many imports. My Mk I Fiesta did have a dealer kit available. That car didn’t even have provisions for an in-dash radio. The ’84 Toyota truck I ordered came with an A/C kit, which was installed by the dealer before delivery.
My ’93 Toyota SR5 truck is one of the few around (I live in Quebec) to have factory A/C and it still works. Most of these trucks and many 4 Runners didn’t have A/C around here. Mine was imported from the United States when it was a few years old, so I guess it’s why it has a/c but it’s also why I bought that one.
Years ago, I did install air conditioning in my 1967 Buick Riviera GS that wasn’t even A/C ready. I had to buy and part out two other 1967 Rivieras (both sold new in the US unlike mine) and use a lot of parts that you wouldn’t think are related to A/C to make it like a factory installation. It works fine but it was a lot of trouble and I try to avoid dealing with such conversion jobs now!
Back then, many Canadian dealers wouldn’t even bother ordering luxury cars with a/c as they were not familiar with it and didn’t have the equipment to service it. One of my air conditioned parts cars was sold new to a French Canadian in Georgia as it still had it’s Protect-O-Plate with the owner’s name stamped on it and it was driven back to Canada. The car had been sitting for a very long time when I got it and many parts from the refrigerating system were missing or damaged. Since that car didn’t have the GS package, the a/c compressor had a different pulley so I had to buy another Riviera GS with a messed-up “Automatic Climate Control” to get the needed compressor with the correct part number and larger pulley and a good used evap. I did use the manual controls from the Georgia car in my car as there were many hard to find parts in the parts car that had the automatic system.
Buick was the first brand to introduce an automatic air conditioning system back in 1959 but it was a one year only system available with heat only or heat and A/C and it had been modified during that year as I think the early version had just two fan speeds.
It took another 5 years before Cadillac introduced it’s automatic system in 1964. Then, other GM divisions followed with their own versions and Buick’s early Automatic Climate Control from mid-1966 to 1970 were not that reliable and quite complicated (in fact the early versions from mid-1966 and revised mid-1967 versions were apparently nightmares for service departments who couldn’t figure how to fix them under warranty) and probably made a few dealers and customers who experienced the early ones avoid ordering automatic systems even after they got much better.
GM went with a corporate system in 1971 that was an improved version of the “Comfortron” system that Chevy and Olds already had and by the mid-1970s, they were quite reliable, Buick and Cadillac stilled called them “Automatic Climate Control” or “Climate Control” but they were internally the same as those from other GM divisions. The Mark II programmers introduced on late 1974 or 1975 models were also an improvement and added an “Economy” position for those who didn’t want to run the A/C compressor all the time.
Just to be contrary, I’ve never wanted AC in my car. Over the years, if I bought a used car with AC I promptly removed it. Better gas mileage and much easier to service the engine. My daily driver today (’88 Toyota) has no AC and never did.
If I were to live year round in the South, I might have to give in. Or just drive at night!
That’s kind of sad.
Yup
must not be from the Midwest. High heat and high humidity. New a/c are very efficient now.
A very well-written article with lots of interesting information. Thanks so much Tom!
On another note I think that ’56 Stude President with the aqua/white paint is just gorgeous!
An added option on many Imperials between 1960 and 1974 was dual a/c. The standard front system with and added trunk mounted system. This was very popular in the hot, humid south and on Imperials used for diplomatic and for government use. A real benefit on large black cars.
GM made so much money back then that it could afford to build substantially different dashboards for cars, depending on whether they had air-conditioning. Not exactly Toyota-level efficiency in component design.
I first noticed this while shopping for a previously mentioned ’65 or ’66 Cadillac. About eight out of ten came with A/C back then (it seems most of the rest ended up in the hands of frugal Canadians) but the non-aircon cars didn’t have the A/C ductwork to bring fresh air into the cabin. It looks like about half the dash, the lower jaw if you will, was different. A Coupe de Ville I tested had footwell vents, which to their credit could blast huge quantities of atmosphere into the cabin.
Tom, you are one hell of a writer. You tackled what should be a boring subject and created a fascinating read. Looking forward to more. BTW , I recall riding in an early-60s Mercedes that had been fitted with an under-dash Thermo King unit. It looked so out of place in such an otherwise well thought out car.
From the cobwebs of my mind:
Toyota, at least in the New Orleans, LA area, was an early imported car pioneer with c-c-cold air conditioning systems that did not overly tax the engine’s performance or cooling system.
I understand that many of the earlier models had P.O.E. (Port Of Entry) added on A/C systems, so it really wasn’t “Factory Air conditioning”…..but it was indeed a well integrated, and excellent performing set up that worked dayum good in the intense, prolonged heat & humidity here, was in harmony with the engine & interior and seldom broke down.
If you wanted air conditioning for an imported car in the 1970’s and 1980’s you took your chances with units that, more often than not, performed poorly and/or taxed the car’s engine performance and cooling systems.
After about 1971 Toyota’s units were on par with Detroit’s. (In my opinion.)
Honda was about 10 to 15 years behind Toyota on the A/C evolutionary curve. By the mid 1980’s Honda’s units performed ok; but just barely enough for this swampy area of the world and were at least one generation behind Toyota’s.
I didn’t own any Datsun/Nissan products of this time period; so I have no recollection of how they performed.
BMW had some truly dreadful A/C systems that often were no better than a wet washcloth on your face in the 1970’s.
The always ultra expensive Mercedes Benz cars (again, in the 1970’s) had A/C units that did better than BMW but not as good as a Toyota that was 1/3 the cost of the Benz. They were noisy and vibrated and felt like an add on unit from Western Auto.
Toyota made use, by the mid 1970’s, of the smaller, smoother Sanden style rotary compressors.
MB kept the older, more vibration prone, square brick shaped York/Tecumseh (?) compressor used by Ford and the aftermarket for wayyyyyyy too long.
Tom, this theee part series was fantastic. Exhaustively researched, thoroughly documented and extremely well written. I thought I knew a lot about this subject, but I learned quite a bit more.
With such a variety of technologies and systems over the years, there is one question that begs an answer: What was the coldest, most powerful vehicle A/C ever produced?
C’mon, Tom, give us part four!
Tom, this was one amazing sets of articles on automotive AC! Thank you soooooo much!
I have an old friend who used to work for Chrysler’s Air-Temp division in the Dayton, OH area. He told me that you wouldn’t believe just how powerful modern auto AC systems had become – he compared them able to cool an average home. True or false, I can’t prove it, but I’d like to know.
I don’t really know what else I can say, except: WELL DONE.
You could cool a small house with many car AC systems. Many put out over 20,000 BTU. Thanks to all the glass and steel, and the fact they have to take a 120 degree car down to 70 in minutes not hours, They are way more powerful then you would think.
Also modern cars mostly have much more sloped windshields so a lot more solar energy gets in that way. I vaguely remember that GM added extra BTU’s for the Trans Sport etc. plastic minivans because of the large sloped windshield.
Yes, this entire series of articles is beyond fantastic Tom .
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The 1954 Pontiac dash photo mimics my ’54 Coup’s dash, down to the color .
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My car had the color matching button tuck seat upholstery too but it was diamond, not square like the one pictured .
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In 1972 I tried hard to get the AC working but not one of the AC Service/Parts places I went to would even talk to me about parts or trying to make it go again .
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I remember a 1969 (? maybe ’70) Toyota RT43, the AC outlets completely replaced the glove box ! .
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-Nate
With most American vehicles, converting non-AC to ‘factory’ AC involved removing the dash, control panel, and the entire heater system, and replacing everything with whatever is required to add the AC system. One reason the under-dash AC units were popular for so many years until factory AC became common.
On my ’96 Tacoma, the glovebox, a small steel brace and the connecting-duct between the blower and heater came out. The duct was replaced with the evaporator/cooler box. There were already holes punched in the firewall for the AC lines & drain. There was no need to mess with the blower, heater, or the rest of the dash. The dash was pre-wired with a harness that plugged right in to an AC control module that came with the evaporator. There was a small plastic cover that popped off the heater control-panel, exposing a pre-wired socket. The AC switch pressed in there. The whole interior part of the AC install took about an hour.
As for the rest, mounting-holes were already cast and threaded in the engine-block for the AC compressor-bracket. The connection for the AC clutch was taped to the engine wiring-harness just above that spot.
Even the radiator support and inner fender came with openings and threaded holes to route and secure the condenser lines and brackets.
I did have to add an engine pulley for the AC belt.
Had I been able to get all the correct parts at the same time, the whole job could have been finished in well under one day!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Excellent part 3! Looking forward to part 4 if there is one covering climate control (Comfortron, Tempmatic, Cadillac Climate Control), as well as the evolution of compressor designs – the compressor on my Pap’s 74 Sedan deVille dwarfed the pancake compressor on the 84 SdV – yet both could produce a meat locker chill within minutes.
The best air conditioning I ever experienced was in my 99 Suburban – throw the front and rear ac on full blast and you could fog the windows up in no time. GM may have commuted numerous missteps in the 80’s & 90’s, but for my money they had the best air condoning around, with Ford #2.
That reminds me….Chrysler (and same body full size Plymouth and Dodge) station wagons could come with dual AC, starting probably with the unit body 1960’s. There was a second evaporator/fan unit across the ceiling between where the heads of people in the second and reversed third row seats would be, and in fact the dual air was mostly (or maybe only) found in 9 passenger models.
The Pontiac Trans Sport etc. plastic minivans could have something similar, only I think in the wall somewhere in the back. Today’s minvans run air from the front AC along the sides of the roof with small vents along the way just like those 50’s cars with trunk units. And of course a lot of cars run a duct for heat and AC through the center console for the back seat.
Excellent series of articles, Tom, thank you so much.
One minor correction: Packard again made air conditioning optional for the 1953 model year.
Are you sure? I can’t find any evidence to support the fact that Packard offered A/C before 1954. If you have any proof, please post it.
Packard offered air conditioning as early as 1938 on the Henney-built ambulances and first added it to their passenger cars in 1940. When the all-new Clipper models came out in 1941, they had it available too. After WWII, it was re-introduced for the 1953 model year, not 1954 as the article states and there is even a service training book about it which I have. Someone mentioned that it was sourced by Novi but it was not. Novi built-aftermarket units, many of which were installed in Packard as were those by other manufacturers.
Does anyone have photos of the stock 1941-1942 Packard Clipper compressor installed?
Again, this is very interesting. The various developments are explained with great clarity. Your pictures show things that I’ve not seen or heard of before (Chrysler fender intake, Pontiac A/C dash, various headliner vents). Simply excellent!
My first new car was a ’75 Mustang II that came without AC. As part of the purchase deal I had AC added by the dealer. The controls were two little knobs. This unit blew through all the dash vents, but the heater controls were still separate and used the original ones. This was also my first AC car. The system worked OK but tended to freeze up in very humid weather.
My ’66 Mustang has the factory hang on unit that can absolutely freeze you out. The only thing I miss with it is the upper vents you can aim at your face. l converted it to R134 a few years ago as I had formerly done to my ’79 Malibu. The only small problem I have with it is that you initially have to get the RPMs up a little to get it to cool. Before the conversion it was not a problem.
It amazes me how many people who look at it have never seen a hang on unit before. Others can’t believe an early Mustang actually has factory air. Whoever initially ordered it must have wanted a mini brougham as it also has a vinyl top.
The AC in my 1988 Plymouth Horizon also iced up. I lived in California and did not discover this until I drove across Colorado and when I hit the plains it was a hot humid thunderstormy summer day and the air flow slowed down and got warm. I turned it off and a while later it was fine before the same thing happened again.
Eventually I got to a shop. The mechanic said that there was a sensor that detected evaporator freezing (ice forming on the coils/fins) and cut the compressor to let it melt, and that you wouldn’t notice because the air would stay fairly cold while the small amount of ice melted. As I remember it didn’t work they way you might think based on temperature but on pressure, but I could be wrong. (Any AC mechanics out there?) Anyway he said it was set correctly but he adjusted it a little off spec and everything was fine after that.
Correct, and today the same principle is applied. A low-pressure sensor detects when the refrigerant is at a pressure such that the evaporator will freeze water that condenses on it, and shuts off the compressor, usually through one of the myriad electronic modules in the car.
General Motors were renowned for their A/C units. I remember reading in Road and Track where Mercedes used Frigidaire components in their new 450SL.
Same thing with automatic transmissions. The Turbo Hydramatic 400 was known for its excellent shifting, reliability and durability and was used by Rolls Royce.
These early factory systems have long fascinated me. Growing up in the upper midwest, air was seldom seen in cars before the mid 1960s. Until reading about some of these systems, I had no idea a/c systems were offered in the 50s, and I had certainly never been in an old car so equipped.
It always fascinated me that Chrysler did not take a leadership role in early auto a/c. Walter Chrysler had formed the AirTemp division, which air conditioned the bottom 2 or 3 floors of the Chrysler Building when it was built in 1929. Surely the company had the engineering wherewithal to translate its refrigeration knowhow to automotive applications. Had Walter Chrysler remained in charge of things for another ten years, I suspect that the history of automotive air might have been different.
My paternal Grandma called all home refrigerators, “The Frigidaire”. 🙂
That’s how many French-speaking people like me still call refrigerators of any brand here in Quebec and in France too.
Even if Frigidaire had completely stopped selling appliances in Canada for a few years after they closed the Canadian factory in 1970. Same for the French market I guess, the Frigidaire brand is certainly not as present in France as it was back in the 1950s and 1960s but some people there still refer to “a refrigerator” as “un frigidaire”.
Some people in France also say “frigo” as equivalent world to “fridge” in English but that’s not very commonly used by French-speaking people here in Quebec where most people still say frigidaire.
Here’s a French ad from 1966 showing “Frigidaire le vrai” as “the true Frigidaire”.
In the ’60’s lots of folks called it “the fridge”, no matter what the brand was.
… tjrs appeler cela ‘dans le frigo’ comme pogne ta ’50’ dans le frigo . burp…
Being a hard core Ford guy their a/c systems were always a curiosity to me. I remember 429 and 460 powered Lincolns and Mercurys had GM Frigidaire compressors yet pretty much everything else used those massive cast iron York compressors. I swear the front end of my Fairmont went UP two inches when I took that York boat anchor out of her 😀 ! Chrysler seemed to be a big fan of piston style compressors as well, as I recall the ones Mopar used looked a lot like a two cylinder air compressor.
My ’66 Mustang has one of those big iron compressors. It does a great job but sure is noisy. It kind of rumbles.
Tom thanks for the great write-ups on A/C. I read all three but hadn’t gotten the chance to come on here to comment. Great work and hope to see more from you.
Tom many thanks on your articles about auto A/C. Some questions for you (Ford Related). The 58-66 T Birds offered factory A/C. I remember 2 center low mounted dash vents. Was this the only outlet for cold air? Did the doors feature vents. And, since the bird was based on their standard cars how come no in dash A/C till the Restyled ’65 big Fords? (Galaxy 500/LTD) My aunt had a ’63 Country Squire factory A/C knee knocker hang on vents?
The ’58-60 and ’61-63 Thunderbirds shared a lot of bits like engines and transmissions etc. with standard Fords but were not based on them. The Fords of those years were body on frame (the basic frame design being from 1957 until the all-new 1965s) and Thunderbirds, like Lincolns were unit bodies. Both were built in one new (now demolished) factory that only made those cars.
The central dash vents were the only ones. Based on my 1962 Lincoln (also only central dash vents) they were probably separate recirculating air only units, basically working like hang on units but using some version of unitary controls with the fresh air/heating system.
Just discovered this excellent series! Answered many questions I’ve had. I purchased a Plymouth Valiant [’66] with factory air only to discover that though controls were integrated it didn’t have re-heat capacity, only a thermostat-controlled clutch on the compressor. My first Honda Accord had “factory” air installed by the dealer but fully integrated with the heater. It DID have re-heat and I found it useful well into late fall controlling humidity in the Piedmont Triad central NC locale. Wife’s 14-year-old Toyota Sienna has three thermostatically-controlled zones which in fully automatic mode direct conditioned air to the appropriate outlets. Capable of total comfort even in 100°+ high humidity conditions. Hope you have a fourth edition in the works! Great work!
Great series Tom! As a little kid I was always fascinated by the scoops on Cadillacs, Lincolns, and Imperials in mid 1950’s. Since the early systems piped the air into the headliner duct system via those cool looking plexiglass tubes in front of the rear window, so it came out in 4 vents, one over each outboard passenger, I wondered why they ever changed to dash mounted vents. Here’s the “rest of the story”. In 1953, or whenever, A-C was so new, people were thrilled just to have it, especially in hot summer climates. The reality is that blasting ice cold air onto your head and shoulders will keep you cool and comfortable, for a while. The problem, especially in the front seat, is that your head & shoulders freeze, while your hips/waist/crotch/legs/lower legs get warmer and warmer. I know this is true because I’ve had both a ’56 Cadillac Sedan DeVille and a ’56 Lincoln Premier Coupe. Both systems are very similar and produce ice cold air in staggering quantities! It’s fine around town and for short drives, but we drove the ’56 Lincoln on a trip from Columbus, Ohio to St. Louis, MO (425 miles) a few years ago and damn near froze our heads off in the process. I got a stiff neck from the ice cold air! We ended up putting towels over our shoulders and ball caps on our heads! Now, move forward to the 1958 Lincoln A-C system that’s “mostly” in the dash. (I have a ’59-virtually the same car) It is one of the finest distribution systems I’ve ever seen. There are 3 vents in the dash (1 for each front seat passenger) that are hidden into the horizontal chrome bars in the dash. Then there are 2 lower vents, one on each kick panel (L & R) side that blow toward your legs and crotch area. Finally, inside the massive, full-length front door armrests are ducts that seal tight to additional ducts that line up from the lower sides of the dash when the doors are closed. The air flows thru the duct in the armrest to an adjustable chrome grill on the rear of the armrest, thus blowing air into the rear seat compartment. The system utilizes one compressor, 2 evaporators, and a 2 speed fan. Even on high, the system is extremely quiet. Although it’s a little slower to get cold (2 evaporators), it gently brings down and maintains the interior temperature extremely well, with no hot/cold spots in the car. No cold heads or shoulders. My car is triple black, and even on 90 degree days, the interior stays completely cool, even on low speed! This system was only in use from 1958-1960 and was altered to just dash vents in the redesign/downsize of the 1961 Lincoln. On the heating side, it also had ducts that went under the front seat, so warm air was efficiently to the rear seat. To my knowledge, no other manufacturer has an air conditioning system so elaborate or effective, except maybe for Chrysler’s Dual Airtemp system, except the rear vents blow at the of your head in coupes/sedans.
Here’s the Interior View showing the tubes and 1 of 4 ceiling vents
One of the best looking A-C controls of the 1956 cars. Much nicer than the all silver “add-on” look common in Cadillac.
This is our 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV
This is the dash. One vent is to the left of the steering wheel, 2 are in the center of the dash, above the glove box. Notice how nicely hidden they are in the horizontal chrome ribs.
When I first looked at this photo I was like WHAT? a manual transmission?
Then I enlarged the photo and saw the one helluva brake pedal.
The car seems to be in better than new and it shows.
Here’s the rear seat adjustable vent/grill with the vent that runs through the front door armrest.
Thanks for the three Cold Comfort articles. I found some info on the aftermarket mobile a/c cars.
There were twocars I remember in the mid 50s one was 55 Chevrolet with an ARA unit and a 58 Chevy station wagon had a GM Cold pack that came from the factory, as it was used as an ambulance for the local funeral home. The ARA on the 55 was the type that was in style at that time/ or was it ordered with the ARA. It belong to the high school foot ball coach. The only other cars like Buick and Cad had factory air.
I read somewhere that Friigette took over Mark IV and Frigette was the name use on Mark IV products. Now this is the computer age, (I can’t find much on Frigette) I still looking for aftermarket a/c writings’.
Thanks for all the good information. /John K
thanks for the good work
We have a 1974 Honda civic that has Ac. It takes the place of the glove box. It is not integrated with the heater.At the time all honda cars had dealer install AC. Had a Honda parts number,but was made in Texas.
!954, Pontiac and Nash offered The new style cowl front mounted factory auto A/C.(?), question is did Harrison, Nash and Pontiac work together on Nash design.?
Phewwww
Man it’s dusty in here.
My hunch is that Nash, with Weather Eye under their belt and Kelvinator under their tent no doubt had the know-how to develop a system.
If Nash would have entered into an uncomfortable arranged marriage, my guess is that it might have been to gain automotive production capability, while in trade bringing their know-how (or possibly Weather Eye patents?) to the table.
Again, that’s all a guess.
Hello
I am looking for a radiator and fan shroud for a 1957 Pontiac
with air condition
Also looking for information where i can get a 57 pontiac dash
with ac vents cut out, or templates of the vent holes. pictures
and measurements would probably do
Thanks
Barry
One of my high-school girlfriends had a purple fintail MBz 230 with what appeared to be an aftermarket “Kühlmeister” under-dash unit that worked OK but that huge York compressor cut the already-anemic old six’s power significantly.
My 1979 Hilux had an aftermarket unit with a garbage compressor bracket that cracked and left a bolt broken off in the block, then after I fixed that one of the hoses blew off the compressor so hard that it put a nice big zit the hood. After that, I never bought another car without factory air.
My fiancé bought a used, 1972 Datsun 240Z with a factory option a/c unit, about 45 years ago. It did not function very well and it pulled down the engine noticeably. I recall you got very cold spots in the car and did not feel comfortable.
I married her, had the unit recharged twice due to slow leakage(s). The tech said the unit would never perform very well due to 4 speed manual transmission. It caused engine speeds to swing too much. I finally removed the compressor and associated hoses, not so sure about condenser. This way, I enjoyed the sports car image better, but sweated in Indiana humid weather.
Later, I traded the 240Z for a used 1980 Honda Accord with a/c that kept you cool.
There is an advertisement from the late 70’s/early 80’s using GM “car metaphors” to sell the full model line of Frigidaire home appliances….as in “take these babies for a spin”.
General Motors, with the GM logo next to the Frigidaire logo (a simple “F” topped by a small crown) is fully advertised as the maker of Frigidaire appliances…..so I assume the ad must be circa 1975-1979.
As I collect GM Frigidaire appliances, I’d like to see that ad! I know the ad for my 1968 portable dishwasher related to cars. Frigidaire’s dishwashers we’re called “Super Surge” and the ad referred to the dishwasher as the Helpmobile SS.
https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/04/29/42964#&gid=ci0258be67b00326ef&pid=42964—004—image
I grew up in a small town in Central New York, and the local Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealer also sold Frigidaire appliances. All in white, and lined up on a wall; they got him through the lean months, for sure.
Tom, read all 3 parts great work.
I want to know when factory a/c was introduced as an option in pick-up trucks.
I’ve owned several p/u and vans and they all had a/c but the oldest one was a 1976 model.
The coldest a/c I’ve ever had was in a 1994 Ford Ranger extra cab. One day I put a thermometer in the center vents and it showed 29F. This was in a hot and muggy Texas summer day.
I miss the “crotch cooler” vents on GM cars.
I believe factory air became available for GM trucks in 1962. Not sure about the rest.
I looked at the factory Chevrolet pick up brochures from 1962 to 1966. Yes they did offer a/c in 1962 as a dealer installed option. It looks like 1966 was the first year for a factory installed a/c unit. I can’t tell if that was a fully integrated unit, what Chevrolet call “Four Seasons”.
Now I have to look through Ford and Chrysler brochures to see what they did and when.
Does anyone know of an auto air conditioning museum that may be interested in some of the tools that were used for repair of auto air conditioners? My father brought auto air (Mark IV) into Arkansas and was one of the only people around that would rebuild the GM Frigidaire compressors (for half the cost of a new one!). I still have his tools, most of which were hand made. I remember people coming up from Texas to get their air conditioners repaired by him. I used to sit on his shoulders and put screws into a suction-throttle valve when he would re-kit them. He could do it by himself, but I was handy.
Minor correction: The Continental Mark II was never a Lincoln. The car was developed and marketed by the Continental Division of Fomoco.
This time around… I want to chew on the idea of using the space between the headliner and the roof as a sort of plenum for the rear-mounted A/C systems. I mean, yeah it existed, so why not try to use it, but at the same time, the headliner wasn’t very rigid like it is today, so it may have caused some ballooning, I’m not sure. And the other side of the plenum is a sun-baked steel roof, which isn’t exactly ideal for keeping cooled air cool.
But I guess it was cheaper than installing actual rigid ductwork above the headliner…
GM from what I understand favored their Harrison system over Frigidaire, but marketed the Harrison units as Frigidaire because that name was much better known amongst consumers.
Also, Packard did have their own integrated system in 1955-56 that sent some air to the top of the dashboard. It used a Lehigh compressor mounted behind the dash.
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.