Packard Forum Index » ZIS, ZIL, and other Packard Cousins!

Being deep in the red was a matter of course in Russia. Below pictured an example. If the driver of a ZIS opened the throttle then the color of the speedometer illumination changed in three phases. Is this feature cribbed from the One-Eighty or of Soviet origin (in honesty and sincerity cribbed from another car)?

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That feature was snitched from Chrysler Corp. cars.

Hello Gusha:

Packard had it too in 1941. The changing colored pointer was found on all models, from 110 to 180. Look at the Data Book on pages 28 & 29. Or on page 45 / 137 in this link.
packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/1941_DataBook.pdf

Could not tell you which manufacturer had it out first.

Dave, Roger, thanks a lot!

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Exactly as described by Mal, the talk revolves around "ordinary glass" as opposed to "crystal clear plastic".
Roger, was the illuminated pointer limited to 1941 or available in 1942 too?


source: Packard Data Book for 1941

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Hello Guscha:

I don't know for certain as I own only 1941 Packards - would have to check with someone who own a 1942.

I highly suspect the '42 is the same as the '41.

--Roger--

I keep telling my contacts here they need to put those color changing speedometers in these new cars. I'll be meeting one tomorrow and I'll mention it.

The Packard data book is talking about the pointer instead of scale illumination. Does that mean that the pointer changes the color while the scale illumination remaines unchanged?
The mentioned "light conducting properties" we will meet again in later years. GAZ ("Chaika") as well as ZIL reutilized that feature to illuminate the chosen push button of the transmission selector.

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Hello Guscha:

Correct - only the POINTER changes color, the background numerals always stay white.

While the front of the pointer is smooth, the back has a saw-toothed finish and is thin at the tip and grows wider toward the base. Between the pivot joint of the pointer and the wide base is a upward facing light bulb. Just above the bulb is a curved piece of celluloid film -type material ranging in color from green to amber to red. As the pointer swings in an arc (as speed increases) it passes over the green section to amber and then to the red section of the colored film.

The pointer must be similar to Lucite with its "light piping" characteristics.

Also in that manual it states that the custom radio changes color with tone. The more bass chosen the bluer, the treble is in reddish light with the middle lit in amber. I always heard the 1950's were the jukeboxes on wheels. Never imagined a multi-tone radio and speedometer needle giving off hues in prewar cars. they should've kept those to for postwar models.

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Roger, thanks. I have a certain sense of foreboding that the ZIS lightshow is operating on the same principle. Therefore I substituted the first pic and will disassemble a speedo to check.

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