Chrysler was not the first brand to have
onboard air conditioning; that honor goes to Packard, in 1940, and then to
Cadillac, in 1941. Chrysler offered air conditioning in 1942, and three 1942
DeSotos with the system are known to exist, according to Collectible Automobile (February 2007 issue).
http://www.allpar.com/corporate/airtemp.php
Dave Homstad
56 Dodge D500 (no A/C)
-----Original
Message-----
From: Forward Look Mopar
Discussion List [mailto:L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Charles Deyoe Jr.
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 6:30
AM
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [FWDLK] A Little Tidbit
on A/C
Not sure if
this is true but interesting story makes you wonder where people come up with
the information.
Chuck Deyoe
1955 Chrysler
Subject: Fw: A LITTLE
TIDBIT
Here's a
little factoid for automotive buffs or just to dazzle your friends.
The four
Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram, and Max, invented
and
developed the
first automobile air-conditioner. On July 17, 1946, the
temperature
in Detroit was 97 degrees.
The four
brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and
sweet-talked
his secretary
into telling him that four gentlemen were there with the
most
exciting
innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter.
Henry was
curious and invited them into his office. They refused and
instead asked
that he come out to the parking lot to their car.
They
persuaded him to get into the car, which was about 130 degrees,
turned on the
air conditioner, and cooled the car off immediately.
The old man
got very excited and invited them back to the office,
where he
offered them $3 million for the patent.
The brothers
refused, saying they would settle for $2 million, but
they wanted
the recognition by having a label,
'The Goldberg
Air Conditioner,
on the
dashboard of each car in which it was installed.
Now old man
Ford was more than just a little anti-Semitic, and there was
no way he was
going to put the Goldberg's name on two million Fords.
They haggled
back and forth for about two hours and finally agreed on
$4 million
and that just their first names would be shown.
And so to
this day, all Ford air conditioners show -- Lo, Norm, Hi,
and Max-- on
the controls.
I can hear
your groans from here. Control yourself !!! just forward it.