Packard Forum Index » General

United States Patent -> 2183996
To go the whole nine yards, please find attached another patent of Mr. Mayo, associated with A/C.

source: freepatentsonline.com
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The book "Packard" by Dennis Adler, MBI Publishing Company LLC, 2004 - 156 pages -> purported, that approximately 2,000 of prewar Packards were equipped with a Bishop & Babcock Weather-Conditioner until 1941.

5-1-20
Hi Guscha,

Bingo! the Santa Ana Register of 10-9-40 provided a delightful description of the Packard Cellarette for 1941.

Excerpts will be added to the 1941 Packard AC chapter.

Also, thanks for the 11-2-39 article from The Zanesville Signal.

Muchas Gracias for your continued research about Packard's early AC.

Allen
archiveman2977

5-2-20
Hi Howard,

The initial production of the 1940 Packard Weather Conditioner provided a heater core in the AC evaporator cabinet in the forward trunk.

Mr. James Hollingsworth, author of Packard 1940 a pivotal year, commented that some of the Senior Packard owners complained that the rear heater temperature proved tepid in severe winter circumstances in longer wheelbase 138-inch and 148-inch models.

Reportedly, the extra length hot water hose leading from the radiator cooled more so than in shorter One Ten models with a 122-inch wheelbase and One Twenty models with a 127-inch wheelbase.

The redesign in Packard air conditioners eliminated the heater core after April 22, 1940. Mr. Hollingsworth stated, "It is the author's guess that the time hot water circulated to the trunk compartment of a 138-inch or 148-inch wheelbase car in severe cold winter conditions, it would not effectively warm the car."

As an owner of one of 233 built, One Eighty Club Sedan, Model 1806, Body 1356 in Miami Sand color, he continued, "I own a One Eighty Club Sedan (127-inch wheelbase) with the early air-conditioning-heater combination, and the heater portion does adequately warm the car in mild Texas winter weather."

The Packard Weather Conditioner emblem on the evaporator instructed moving the right hand or the left hand damper for Summer Cooling or Winter Heating.

Packard offered an optional floor-grilled Rear Compartment Hot Water Heater.

The images of his car and commentary are featured in my upcoming book, an illustrated history of automotive air-conditioning.

Allen
archiveman2977

"... Packard Motor Car company is road testing its first cars with air conditioning since 1939, James J. Nance, president, announced today ..."

The relaunch, published in The Waverly News and Republican Herald, Ohio, July 2, 1953.



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6-14-20

Hi Guscha,

Thanks for the obscure article about the 1953 Packard AC.

According to the Packard corporate minutes, President Vance reluctantly pursued factory AC as an accessory, to match GM's Frigidaire Division units in Cadillac, Buick, and Oldsmobile. Chrysler supplied Chrysler, DeSoto, and Dodge with their Airtemp Division unit. Ford had no affiliation with refrigeration, so it contracted with NOVI.

Packard contracted with Frigidaire for 500 units late in the 1953 model year. Due to slow sales, it separated the order and equipped 250 1953 units with the Frigidaire unit, and delayed the other 250 units for the 1954 model year.

This article will be a welcome addition for the 1953 Packard AC chapter.

Allen
archiveman2977

If Packard contracted for X number of units and they were all the same then later divided over two years that might explain why the 54s were unchanged from the 53 version in Packards while Cadillac made several improvements for 54 in their version.

Any update on when your book will be out?

Funny story to add to all this A/C being installed in cars.

We had a neighbor that was a farmer and he would never buy a car with a/c in it. He would always say what's the use, it's only really hot two months out of the year and it's a waste of money.
Now his son owns the farm and has tractors with cabs and a/c. We were talking about his dad and he said that his dad is probably turning over in his grave.

How time changes.
Wes

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That said, the difference in cost of the tractor today with or without a/c is probably negligible.

6-16-20

Hi Howard,

New Packard AC information, along with formatting changes, have extended the time needed before publication.

As it stands, this Volume 1, covering the 1940-1942 AC-equipped cars,spans 300+pages and offers 400 B&W/color images.

Thanks for asking.

Allen
archiveman2977