Today, November 4, marks the 80th anniversary of the invention of the first car equipped with air conditioning, which has become an indispensable baseline in summer and winter.

Interest in air conditioning began after the scientist John Hadeli observed in 1758 that the evaporation of alcohol cooled what it was, and this idea was the cornerstone upon which scientists based on the realization of the dream of cooling homes, until they actually succeeded in making the first air conditioner for a room In 1939, R&D in this sector accelerated until the air conditioners entered the automotive world in the first test in 1939 by Parkard. Other companies followed the example of Packard by developing air conditioning systems and adding them to their cars. conditioning.

In the 1930s, a few companies were able to provide cool air in the car's interior by adding huge coolers to cool the air. This was done at the request of the customer and required huge modifications in the car in terms of saving space and electricity required for it.

The biggest event came on November 4, 1939, when the 40th Auto Show was held in Chicago, in which the luxury car company Packard unveiled its new car.

Packard was a revolution in the automotive world. It was the first car to be equipped with an air-conditioning unit, a key component of heating and cooling systems.

Strangely enough, he was occupying more than half of the car bag behind the rear seat. Cold air was reaching the passenger compartment through the ducts installed between the seats and the rear windows.

To activate the air conditioning system, the driver opens the bonnet cover and connects the “walk” connected to the air conditioning compressor, and vice versa when turned off. air conditioner.

The cold air continued to come out with any movement, because it did not contain a thermostat (thermostat) and this was one of its main disadvantages, and was overcome by manual control by turning off the fan.

Packard optionally installed the car in the car for $ 274, while the average annual income of a US citizen was $ 1.368.

The idea was not popular with many, despite Packard guaranteeing the installation of the air conditioning unit. This was explained by the start of World War II.

In 1941, the car was discontinued amid an intense campaign by US newspapers, led by The New York Times, to fight cold and hot car air conditioning, claiming it was killing people by not renewing the air in the cabin.

The "New York Times" published at the time on its front page, the news that the use of air conditioner in closed cars, may lead to death, according to the theory was that the air will become a poison in this case. This caused the car to stop production.

After 12 years, Chrysler Imperial came in 1953 and introduced the first air-conditioned car after the break. The air-conditioning systems were then three levels to choose from. The air-conditioner could cool from 49 ° to 30 ° in 10 minutes and was small and quiet. His voice.

Presented to the public in the press, not only as a car for convenience, but also for privacy, you can reach your destination without opening the car's windows and receiving noise from outside, with fresh and filtered air, regardless of the summer heat or cold winter.

After the first air-conditioned car came to light, automakers looked to the future and predicted that air conditioning would become a key component of the future car, a prophecy that has proven true today.

According to consumer reports at the time, cars using the air conditioner lost more gallons than their counterparts without an air conditioner, only to discover that driving with windows open does not affect fuel economy, and in 1969 more than 54% of cars Equipped with air conditioning, not only for convenience, but also increases the selling price of the used car.