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On November 4th, 1939, Packard unveiled the first automobile in the world with air conditioning.
It proved unsuccessful because the main evaporator and blower system took up half of the trunk space, and it had no temperature thermostat or shut-off mechanism (other than switching the blower off). Also, the several feet of plumbing going back and forth between the engine bay and trunk proved unreliable in service.
More importantly, the A/C system cost $274 USD, which was an enormous amount of money in post-depression/pre-war America.
The second American automaker to offer A/C was Cadillac in 1941.
Source: Wikipedia
It proved unsuccessful because the main evaporator and blower system took up half of the trunk space, and it had no temperature thermostat or shut-off mechanism (other than switching the blower off). Also, the several feet of plumbing going back and forth between the engine bay and trunk proved unreliable in service.
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| Packard 1939. |
More importantly, the A/C system cost $274 USD, which was an enormous amount of money in post-depression/pre-war America.
The second American automaker to offer A/C was Cadillac in 1941.
Source: Wikipedia