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

8-5-17

Fact or Fiction:

Packard President Alvan Macauley drove a 1938 Packard prototype with air conditioning.

Comments?

archiveman2977

The first production A/C car was Packard's 18th Series (1940 model year), introduced in early 1940. I've read (somewhere -- Popular Mechanics?) that in the late 1920s, someone installed a compressor in the rear floor of a car to power the A/C.

Here's Macauley at his home with a 1938 Super Eight. Don't know if it had A/C.

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acprocold.com/blog/evolution-auto-air-conditioning/

1939 - Packard becomes the first car manufacturer to offer air conditioning as an option. The cooling system is located in the trunk, rather than in the dash, and you have to manually install or remove the drive belt from the A/C compressor to turn the system on or off. The option costs $274 at a time when the average yearly income is $1,368. That, plus the start of World War II, causes the option to be short-lived.

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8-5-17
Hello 32Model901,

If we only were able to peek inside Mr. Macauley's 1938 Packard Super Eight...

Thanks for the link about a chronologically interesting walk through automotive air conditioning through the "HVACNation_2008-06-FO2.pdf" link.

Thanks for attaching the November 1933 Popular Science article about the 1927 Packard Model 336 with the rudimentary air conditioning system.

The next attachment presents a good summary for the factory air system of the 1942 Packard Clipper, from the January 1942 edition of "Popular Science."

Thanks for your time and effort spent.

Best,
archiveman2977

Archiveman2977,

Thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed the articles.

Ran across this link, suggesting a '38 built for President FDR had air conditioning.

pavelnovitski.com/packard-conv-derham

Packard introduced its Sixteenth Series Super Eight and Twelve models in September 1937. Most changes were cosmetic including more rounded fenders and veed windshields on many bodies. Packard sales totaled 48,682 units for 1938, less than 1937, but still the best showing of all the independents.

Just 556 V-12 models would bear 1938 registration. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who favored Packards, got a new custom-built one enabling him easier access necessitated by polio. His car included something revolutionary at the time - air conditioning.

This open Packard features custom coachwork by the Derham Company of Rosemont, Pennsylvania. The Derham Body Company would become America's longest surviving coachbuilder producing custom bodies from 1887 to 1974. Derham had a reputation for building fine, enclosed carriages and coaches during the horse-drawn era and the company quite naturally, turned to automobile bodies after the turn of the century.

This custom-built Packard was the collaboration of purchaser Daniel B. Wentz of Philadelphia and Enos Derham. Finally delivered in September 20, 1938, the body alone cost $4,132.10. Fortunately every scrap of correspondence dealing with the construction of this car exists in the Derham archives, which are now located in the Classic Car Club of American Museum in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Treasured for both their majestic elegance and impressive performance, open Packard Twelve styles are especially admired by connoisseurs of Classic automobiles and are highly coveted by collectors of the marque.

This car is equipped with original extras including twin side mounts, bumper guards, fog lights and luggage rack, and was one of only 566 Twelves produced that year. A rare opportunity to buy a CCCA Full Classic Packard, fully restored, shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2012.

8-9-17

Hi 32model901,

In the link, it showed a black two-door convertible, top down. The other thumbnails presented the dash and engine bay, among others. I don't see any air conditioning componentry on the car.

Am I missing something?

archiveman2977

Hello archiveman2977,

You are spot on, not missing anything.

I don't think the text was a description of the car pictured, only some added info about that particular series.

32model901