![]() ![]() 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.įurthermore, 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). ![]() I’m sure this improvement was much appreciated by all the smokers (and non-smokers) of the era. ![]() 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.Īnother 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. 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. 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. Like many early factory setups, it could be installed directly at the factory, or by the dealership as an add-on. Not surprising, given the $620 cost (about $6,000 today) of the factory A/C option. 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. 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). Factory A/C then disappeared after World War II, not to reappear until 1953 when it was independently reintroduced by GM, Chrysler, and Lincoln. #TRUNK AUTO AIR CONDITIONING FULL#Today we’ll be looking at the factory system in this 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood I found at Hershey this past fall.Ī 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). #TRUNK AUTO AIR CONDITIONING SERIES#I’m back with a long overdue post in my Cold Comfort series detailing early automotive air conditioning systems. ![]()
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