I’m back with a long overdue post in my Cold Comfort series detailing early automotive air conditioning systems. Today we’ll be looking at the factory system in this 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood I found at Hershey this past fall.
A quick refresher for those new to this series: Factory air conditioning was first introduced in 1939 by Packard, quickly followed by Cadillac in 1941 and Chrysler in 1942 (full story here). Factory A/C then disappeared after World War II, not to reappear until 1953 when it was independently reintroduced by GM, Chrysler, and Lincoln.
This first-generation trunk-mounted system was used by Cadillac from 1953 through 1956 (Cadillac switched over to an underhood cowl-mounted system in 1957). This system was also used by Buick and Oldsmobile starting in 1953, but you are far more likely to see it in a Cadillac, like the featured car. Not surprising, given the $620 cost (about $6,000 today) of the factory A/C option.
Like many early factory setups, it could be installed directly at the factory, or by the dealership as an add-on. These early 1950s Cadillac systems were superficially similar to their pre-war predecessors: Aside from the obvious similarity of being trunk-mounted, they also operated independently of the heating system. However, there were some key differences: For starters, these were now true factory systems, unlike the pre-war systems which required post-assembly shipment to an outside vendor for A/C installation.
Indeed, GM was actually working on two completely different air conditioning systems at this time: The Frigidaire system featured in this article, and the cowl-mounted Harrison system that I covered in a previous post.
Another difference from the pre-war systems: Cadillac (and the other OEMs) added exterior fresh air intakes to allow fresh air to be blended with recirculated inside air, like the one pictured above. I’m sure this improvement was much appreciated by all the smokers (and non-smokers) of the era. Unfortunately, if you wanted to adjust the amount of fresh/recirculated air blend, you had to do so by means of a knob on the rear parcel shelf: The setting could not be adjusted by the driver.
Furthermore, Cadillac added one other innovation that was quickly copied: Instead of just pouring the cold air straight out through an opening in rear parcel shelf (fogging the rear windows and freezing the necks of the rear passengers), Cadillac placed diffusers in the ceiling of the passenger compartment, and connected them to the trunk-mounted evaporator using large tubes (made of clear plastic to reduce the impairment of rearward visibility). This allowed for much better air distribution throughout the entire passenger compartment.
While I still have yet to see a 1953 or 1954 Cadillac A/C system in person, the featured 1955 system is very similar in overall configuration. That said, there were running changes made along the way. 1954 introduced an electromagnetic clutch and a power switch. The compressor on 1953 Cadillac A/C systems ran continuously with the engine and required removal of the belt to disengage the system.
For 1955, Cadillac updated the control panel, pictured above. For 1953 and 1954, you just had just two blower knobs: The only way to control the temperature of the car was by adjusting the fan speed, while the compressor constantly ran.
For 1955, the control panel still has the two blower controls, but also added a slider control for temperature. This temperature lever did not control a blend door to the heater core like on modern systems: Remember that the heat and A/C were still totally separate systems at this point. Rather, the temperature lever controlled the output from a thermostat mounted in the air return in front of the evaporator, which then cycled the compressor on and off based on the temperature setting and the temperature of the air returning into the evaporator.
Cadillac used these cool ceiling mounted diffusers through the entire 1953-56 run. They are fascinating pieces from a different era of manufacturing. There is a ball-and-socket jet that can be used for directional cooling (similar to what you might find on an airliner). There are also two flaps that can be opened for a more diffuse flow of air. “Regular” Cadillacs had four of these outlets, but the Series 75 limousine had six.
1956 Cadillac Convertible Trunk-Mounted Air Conditioning System
One final fun fact: Cadillac made Air Conditioning available on their convertible models starting in 1956. To my knowledge, this was the only convertible ever offered with a factory trunk mounted A/C system. Unlike the closed cars, the A/C convertibles did not have an external fresh air intake: Instead, they recirculated inside air via two central air returns located behind the well for the top (the air return for fixed roof cars ran under the rear seat). Obviously, there were no ceiling-mounted diffusers, so with only rear vents, this system would have only been effective with the top raised. As a result, Cadillac produced less than 50 convertibles with A/C in 1956.
Nice write up! I find tech articles like these, especially on obscure systems like A/C to be rather interesting.Looking forward to the next installment.
My dad had one in 1961 1962 I was 7 and he drove it from Utah to Tulsa Oklahoma I don’t think the air worked. I also caught him cheating on my mom in that car!
Enjoying this series, Tom!
Living in the Heat & Humidity groin of the USA (New Orleans, LA) I have always been fascinated and obsessed with air conditioning in automobiles.
I’ve always wondered how those small, discrete fender top air intakes could let in enough air to make these early systems work properly?
Did the interior air temperature rise in traffic situations when compared to a 60 mph highway cruise?
Looking forward to the next installment!
The “Ram Air” for the fresh air intake was probably unnecessary. Negative pressure created by the blower motor would draw in fresh air even when parked, much like a modern car.
‘Cool’ article. It must have been a lot of laughs trying to maintain a proper cabin temperature in those cars with the rear A/C constantly running, especially in the winter. I guess you’d just have to crank up the heater a little more than usual.
Of course, I would imagine that most simply removed the compressor belt in the fall until it warmed up enough in the spring to warrant putting it back on.
The practice of removing the compressor belt lasted into the mid 70s. My father had a `68 Buick Wildcat with factory air, and he did it every year, even though automotive air conditioning was much improved over the trunk mounted units of the early to mid 50s.
Don’t know how much work it would have been, but it sounds like the savvy owners would remove/reinstall the compressor belt at the same time they’d do the snow tires. Certainly seems like it would help make the compressor last.
Of course disabling the compressor negates one of the best features of wintertime AC, dehumidification that ‘sucks’ the messy winter moisture out of everything.
…and once the electromagnetic clutch arrived there was no significant drag or wear anyway. Well, except for the few “Climate Control” systems that didn’t offer a compressor-off option.
Interesting. Hopefully, the next installment of the series will discuss the A/C electromagnetic clutch.
Yes, but the systems weren’t really set up for defrosting, although running any AC would help with that. To dehumidfy the GM cars with this system in the winter you could run the AC as the same time as the heat. But then you would be pouring really cold air over you from the roof vents while hot air was coming out the defroster and heat vents down below. So nobody other than the very creative would do that.
On Chrysler systems from 1957 to around 1964 the AC is integrated and the upper vents are the same as the defroster vents flipped up. So in winter you could put on the AC with the temperature lever at max hot and get warm dehumidified air out of the defroster vents, but that’s not what the Defrost button would do. It didn’t turn on the compressor. They hadn’t thought of that yet.
My 68 Chrysler was wired to run the compressor for 10-15 seconds each time the heat was turned on, probably to keep the system limber and the seals lubricated. I wonder which lasted longer – the Chrysler design or your father’s practice.
Good engineering piece! The Owner’s Manuals of those 60s-70s cars with factory AC told us to run the AC occasionally in winter for that very purpose. That would sure be a lot of unnecessary work to take a belt off for winter!
The reason for removing the belt from the compressor in those very early units (Cadillac, Packard) was because the units had no compressor clutch. If you didn’t remove it, the compressor would run all Fall and Winter, using fuel unnecessarily, and additionally giving a small amount of air conditioned air through the rear vent… making the car unnecessarily cooler, and perhaps when the driver or passenger was running the heater to warm the Interior.
There would be no reason (that I am aware of) to remove the compressor belt on a ’68 Buick. I had an older model than your father… a ’64 Wildcat with factory air, and I never felt the need, nor was I told by the Buick Garage/Dealership (who always did the maintenance on the car) to remove the drivebelt in the Winter time, as a service suggestion, or better operation. Maybe he was just being thrifty, thinking by removing the compressor drivebelt, it would save gasoline during the months a/c wasn’t needed. The compressor wouldn’t run,(or draw anything but negligible fuel difference) and only unless the clutch switch (Low, Med, Hi with A/C switched ~ON~) was activated on the dash switch. But, to each his own.
My uncle always got the first Cadillac of each model year in his NE Ohio home town. Always a Coupe DeVille with cloth and no air. He died in 1958. His widow kept that car until 1965, when at the age of 70 + she asked my Mother to teach her to drive. She bought a 1965 Coupe Deville for the driving lessons. Again; no air, and cloth.
She passed the test, including parallel parking on the first try. She died in 1986. The 1965 Cadillac had 11,000 miles. Each fall she had giant studded snow tires installed. I doubt it ever saw snow.
“Your comment cannot be edited because it is marked as spam. – Close”
Okay, LoL
What my “spam” read was that disabling compressor operation would negate the best feature of wintertime AC… dehumidification that ‘sucks’ the messy winter moisture out of everything.
Once the electromagnetic clutch arrived there wasn’t any significant wear or drag when the compressor was idle.
Then again, a few “Climate Control” sytems never let the compressor idle.
That sounds very “spammy” to me Jim!
Wow, a trunk mounted system in a convertible. This is new to me, had never thought such a thing would ever exist. With only 50 or so made, it almost doesn’t. I would imagine that the system would be completely worthless with the top lowered into the well, which would block all of the air output.
I had hoped we would see more of these. And yes, those air outlet pieces are luxuriously decadent compared with everything we have grown up with later.
I wonder whether any of those produced are still in existence as a restored car? If you had a rusty piece like the trunk setup in that convertible, I reckon it’d be hard to find the skills and parts to get it going again.
Tom, your Cold Comfort series has filled a great deal of knowledge gaps I’ve had regarding early automobile air conditioning and I thank you for your research!
At $6,000 in today’s dollars I can’t imagine many willing to incur that cost penalty back then, regardless of their wealth status. Speaking of penalties, I can only wonder how much weight this system added to the car.
Have owned hundreds of cars in my life but my current ride, a ’96 Aerostar, is the first one with AC. I have never used it. (I suspect it is low in refrigerant and wouldn’t work anyway). I toyed with the idea of removing the heavier parts, but things are so integrated and removal of the compressor alone would involve a different belt or idler pulley, so I didn’t do so and continue to provide a free ride to all of the parts involved.
Reading about the history of AC, however, is a joy. Thank you Tom.
I had noticed that A/C was listed for the ’56 Cadillac convertible but decide it must be a misprint. Thanks for including photographic proof it really was offered.
Wondering if the amount/the volume of cooled A/C air delivered to the outlet above the driver’s head was much less than the volume in the back seat area?
I’d say that was a given. In fact, I can see the primary market for the early Cadillac A/C system, given the way the cooled air was routed, was for livery service vehicles. Seems like it would be the only way to justify the lavish cost.
Even in civilian use, I would imagine that instead of wanting to ride upfront on hot days, passengers would be vying for a spot in the much cooler backseat.
I’d get my automotive jollies off by riding in one of these early Cadillacs, feeling the air flow, noticing the temperature decrease, hearing if the rear trunk mounted fans were any more or less noisy than a modern dashboard A/C system.
Yes, I fully admit to be an obsessed automotive Geek. Just like Paul.
Tom, this series is fantastic and brings back memories of when A/C was definitely not something we took for granted like today. I grew up in the lakes region of northeast Indiana and we had lots of wealthy summer “lakers” from places like Chicago who maintained vacation lakefront homes in our area and winter homes in Florida. We also spent many winter vacations in Florida during my childhood. So as a kid I would see 1950’s cars with A/C, mostly Cadillacs like this one. They seemed (and were with this pricing) unbelievably indulgent.
Also, my Dad once brought home from the dealership where he was working temporarily a 1954 Nash Ambassador Country Club Lemans hardtop with fully integrated factory A/C. It’s amazing to think back that an independent manufacturer produced far more advanced (and way less expensive) A/C than GM. I know you covered Nash in one of your earlier pieces but here is a link to a brief refresher on their system:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_Eye
Name was: Nash-Kelvinator
Here’s a better picture of the 56 Cadillac convertible factory air setup:
Nice read Tom, thank you.
As to OE air in a convertible…
Sure, for Cadillac it was ’56.
However, with a system that didn’t have rear evaporator to interfere with folding top, what would have prevented AC installation with an earlier convertible? Say, a ’55 Chevrolet convertible?
Nothing would have prevented the installation of a front-mounted evaporator system in just about any convertible, and last year Tom did a nice piece on the Mark IV and ARA aftermarket systems. I’m sure that more than a few of these found their way into convertibles.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/cold-comfort-history-of-automotive-air-conditioning-part-2-the-aftermarket/
Something to check on: I’m pretty sure Cadillac, along with the other “senior” GM divisions Buick and Oldsmobile, had already gone to 12-volt electrical systems by MY 1953. Their “lesser” kindred, Chevrolet and Pontiac, stuck with 6-volt through MY 1954, however.
You are correct (brain freeze from too much Air Conditioning, I suppose). It was the early Harrison system (1954 Pontiac) that used a 6V clutch.
Copy amended.
I owned a ’53 Studebaker Starliner with a below dash, add on air conditioner system. I didn’t know how old the add on A/C system was. It matched the rest of the car for patina appearance; must have been there since the ….early 1960’s? Or even before? New Orleans was one of the early consumers of “new fangled” add on air conditioners even in the late 1950’s.
It worked well, if a bit on the noisy side.
I always marveled how the compressor clutch and blower motor did not overload the factory 6 volt system. The car never blew even one fuse, the battery always stayed charged up.
The amp meter did do some gyrations with the A/C on high fan speed in stop and go traffic situations.
Studebaker offered a factory system from 1955-58, but I think it may have only been offered only in the sedans and not on the C/K (Starliner/Starlight/Hawk) coupes. It was a trunk-mounted system. One was shown on a video in the series that The Corvette Ben did while fixing up a 58 Commander sedan – he found a parts car somewhere in Texas that had been a factory a/c car. I cannot imagine that the take rate was high at all.
Perhaps it was an ARA, Mark IV or FridgeKing unit?
They were all big players in New Orleans in the 1950’s thru 1970’s.
Perhaps it was a “no name” unit installed by Western Auto, Sears, Roebuck & Co or Woolco? They all did well with summer (April thru November here) A/C installations.
All I can recall of the inside unit was the 4 round plastic air discharge vents. I (reluctantly) sold the Studie in 1980; so my recollections of it are becoming hazy.
More than one college Marketing instructor mentioned to me that #NOLA is a most unique marketing area; what works well here does not always “play well” in the rest of the USA. We are a quirky city! (As are some of the residents; as Paul will verify. HaHaHa!)
That is true, but Ford and Chrysler cars had 6 volts until 56, but offered AC starting 1953. I think the clutch came out in 54 or 55.
My ’56 hardtop Sedan de Ville came equipped with trunk mounted a/c. I particularly liked the scoops on the rear quarters. By the time the car made it down to me, the a/c was inoperative and the belt had been wisely removed from the compressor. I knew that I didn’t have the money the money to fix it so I just left everything alone although I was curious and wanted to take off the back cover of the unit. Just to take a look.
Being a Cadillac it also had a pretty elaborate heating system. There were twin heater cores, one in each front kick panel and a additional unit under the front seat. The system had individual thermostats that controlled water flow to the kick panel heaters. They prevented water from entering the cores until the coolant was hot and I believe that they also prevented the heater fan from being used. This would prevent cold air from being discharged although the defroster fan could be activated. I replaced all the heater hoses and that was a pretty big job compared to your typical Chevy.
Yesterday, I saw an ad for a spiffy ’58 SdV. It had heat ducts running through the bottom of the front doors into outlets at the base of the B pillar for the rear passengers. I didn’t realize for years that my ’99 Olds Intrigue had small floor heat outlets beneath the front seats into the rear footwell.
Tom,
Another wonderful article, the difference in the early systems is just amazing. I have a ’60 Lincoln (which you covered earlier) and the sheer complexity of the system (as well as the Cadillac system) makes you wonder just how effective the marketing guys were in pushing these Rube Goldberg A/C systems before it became a “must have”.
As a kid, I got to sit in a ?year Caddy with clear plastic tube A/C sometime in the late 1950’s but never got to ride in it with the air on. Air conditioning was a movie-theater thing, not a house or car thing. Of course being 40 miles South of Canada with only Lake Erie in between was a big factor in how much people were willing to pay for A/C.
Love that emerald green paint! Nowadays even the cheapest cars have AC, but nobody offers colors like that.
An excellent series. Air conditioning in the stuffy confines of a car in hot / humid weather is worth more than a combination of almost any other features. From a modern perspective, I don’t understand the individual that would buy a 1960 Cadillac without air conditioning if the price of AC were a concern. The obvious solution was to buy a 1960 Chevrolet Impala with AC.
Having coincidentally watched two videos on 1956 Cadillacs last night, one an Eldorado hardtop coupe, the other a Sedan DeVille hardtop sedan, both with factory air, I noticed the lack of the tube and roof diffusers. Maybe those became optional, or were omitted from the hardtops for esthetic reasons.
It certainly looks tidier, if less comfortable for the users….
To add a bit of confusion regarding the 1956, I’ve attached the schematic from the 1956 sales data book – compiled September 1955, and a nice clear picture of the rear package shelf on an air conditioned 1956 Sedan DeVille. Maybe a running change?
The Old Car Manual Project has the answer. On page 10 of the 1955 owner’s manual it states “Two methods of cool air delivery are available. One discharges cool air from grills located at each side of the rear package shelf, the other (available only on sedans) conducts cool air through concealed ducts extending along the roof from the rear package shelf to the front compartment”
I remember, as a child sweltering in the back seat of our Chevy, the envy I would feel when I would see a Cadillac – windows up and plexi tubes in back – motor on by.
Seems like PDX has it figured.
The phantom view too seems to show a sedan.
Good sleuthing, PDX!
“The obvious solution was to buy a 1960 Chevrolet Impala with AC.”
I would bet it was a lot more complicated than that back then. I’ll bet most folks would have taken the Cadillac without air over the Chevrolet (or Oldsmobile) with air if they had to pick one over the other. Luxury is always more effective when everyone else can see it. 🙂
I had some elderly relatives who inherited some money in the early 60s. They bought a new 63 Cadillac, but without air. Four years later they replaced it with a 67 Cadillac Calais (base model) with air. The car had crank windows and vinyl trim around the edges of the cloth seats, but it was cold inside.
I would also choose factory air conditioning over power windows.
I “rock the A/C” much more than I roll down windows, be they power or manual.
Granted the era was more likely to sacrifice comfort for style, but the ethos of arriving at the club with massive pit stains is still a bit hard to fathom!
From Youtube:
A bit late, but thanks for the informative article! You’re photos are amazingly sharp. What camera do you use?
I’m about to re-do a 55 caddie with a nonfunctional factory a/c .I want a functional system and am not concerned with show quality etc .I live in a hot place .
So what can I keep and what should I replace ?
certainly r 12 goes to 134,
a Sandon ? vs rebuild of compressor with coolant mod.
can I use ore replace the the stock condenser evaporator and dryer ?
seems like a simple on off switch would more reasonable than a 60 yr old thermostatic control for the compressor on and off
My first car was a 10-year-old Cadillac Fleetwood (yes, I’m old) with factory A/C, and the clear plastic tubes that delivered cold air to the ceiling registers. It worked pretty well on a trip from Los Angeles to Death Valley, but in hindsight it probably needed to be recharged. Soon thereafter I bought a 1957 Lincoln Premier, also with factory A/C, also with the clear plastic tubes and ceiling registers. The Lincoln registers were circular, of a largish diameter, and delivered a much greater volume of cold air. And man, that air was COLD!
I saw a car show, Carls Custom Cars from Red Oak, Texas, where they opened the trunk of a car which had adjustable (air?) vents near both hinges. I don’t think the car had AC, and may have been a Buick, since they were restoring a 1955 Buick. Has anyone heard of this type of trunk vent appratus?
For all of you wondering why AC was not ordered more, most of us just rolled the windows down. It wasn’t until about 1969 that everybody started ordering AC.
Depends where you lived. In 1960 my parents moved to southern Arizona (4500′ elevation so not an oven like Phoenix) from the Northeast. In a very middle class area many people already had put aftermarket AC in their cars and most people buying a new car would get AC. We finally got a 1963 Falcon wagon with AC, although factory AC on them (like the first Mustang) was the same kind of under dash unit as an aftermarket version but did have a different engine fan and radiator.
On a hot humid day in 1965 on the NYS Thruway I noticed that besides our Falcon, the cars going by in the other direction with closed windows were a small minority and mostly luxury brands.