Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

...the 1940 Packards were introduced at the Chicago Auto Show.

And since Packard was the first manufacturer to install air conditioning from the factory, it's also the 75th anniversary of factory air!

Below is a link to an article from Automotive News in 1996 that covers the trials and tribulations of cooling closed cars...

http://www.autonews.com/article/19960626/ANA/606260705/packard-brought-air-conditioning-out-
of-the-realm-of-rube-goldberg

Hi

Air conditioning was a big deal in the 1930's. Carrier started promoting it, did so by getting movie theaters equipped as patronage dropped off severely in the summer months. Anyone who has been in an old theater without it in the summertime will instantly understand.

The very idea of cooled air in the summer was luxurious and even decadent.....so the wealthy went for it first. Then everyone else wanted it after they sat through a feature film for the first time in mid-August. Automotive A/C was just the inevitable next step.

Steve

Carrier was also the designer/supplier of the AC systems for the Queen Mary of 1934 with design work back to 1931 or so. It was a major revelation for a transatlantic ocean liner at the time.