-
-
Curbside Classics Archives
Cold Comfort Archive
-
![(first posted 9/23/2018) I’m back, with a long overdue installment in my Cold Comfort series on the early history of automotive air conditioning. Today, I’m tackling this 1957 […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_7058.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser Factory Air Conditioning")
Cold Comfort: 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser Factory Air Conditioning
Posted on September 23, 2024 | 53 Comments(first posted 9/23/2018) I’m back, with a long overdue installment in my Cold Comfort series on the early history of automotive air conditioning. Today, I’m tackling this 1957 […] -
![(first posted 8/20/2017) Pity poor Lincoln: As I mentioned in my 1957 Lincoln Premiere CC, they were still selling trunk-mounted air conditioning systems into 1957, well after […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/3-1.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: 1958-60 Lincoln Continental – Craziest Factory Air Conditioning Ever?")
Cold Comfort: 1958-60 Lincoln Continental – Craziest Factory Air Conditioning Ever?
Posted on August 20, 2023 | 44 Comments(first posted 8/20/2017) Pity poor Lincoln: As I mentioned in my 1957 Lincoln Premiere CC, they were still selling trunk-mounted air conditioning systems into 1957, well after […] -
![(first posted 8/13/2017) I regularly see the featured car for this post (a beautiful 1956 Lincoln Premiere with factory A/C) at car shows that I exhibit my Mark […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_7911-1.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: 1956 Lincoln Premiere Factory Air Conditioning")
Cold Comfort: 1956 Lincoln Premiere Factory Air Conditioning
Posted on August 13, 2023 | 40 Comments(first posted 8/13/2017) I regularly see the featured car for this post (a beautiful 1956 Lincoln Premiere with factory A/C) at car shows that I exhibit my Mark […] -
![(first posted 7/18/2017) I’ve already briefly covered the GM Harrison air conditioning system in the third part of my original Cold Comfort series. This unusually heavily optioned […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/IMG_7127.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: World’s Most Optioned 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air")
Cold Comfort: World’s Most Optioned 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air
Posted on July 18, 2023 | 89 Comments(first posted 7/18/2017) I’ve already briefly covered the GM Harrison air conditioning system in the third part of my original Cold Comfort series. This unusually heavily optioned […] -
![(first posted 7/6/2017, updated 7/6/2023) As readers of my three-part Cold Comfort series on factory air conditioning know, I have a preternatural obsession with automotive air conditioning. The response […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/IMG_7080.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: 1962 Chevrolet Corvair with Factory Air Conditioning")
Cold Comfort: 1962 Chevrolet Corvair with Factory Air Conditioning
Posted on July 6, 2023 | 104 Comments(first posted 7/6/2017, updated 7/6/2023) As readers of my three-part Cold Comfort series on factory air conditioning know, I have a preternatural obsession with automotive air conditioning. The response […] -
![(first posted 6/3/2017) After seeing the explosion of the aftermarket air conditioning sales in the early 1950’s, Detroit decided to get back into the factory air conditioning business […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/1007-01-automotive-air-conditioning-chevrolet.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: History of Automotive Air Conditioning, Part 3 – Post-World War II")
Cold Comfort: History of Automotive Air Conditioning, Part 3 – Post-World War II
Posted on June 3, 2023 | 108 Comments(first posted 6/3/2017) After seeing the explosion of the aftermarket air conditioning sales in the early 1950’s, Detroit decided to get back into the factory air conditioning business […] -
![(first posted 6/2/2017, updated 6/2/2023) As I detailed in Part 1 of this series, Packard, Cadillac, and Chrysler all dabbled in automotive air conditioning between 1940 and 1942. […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/1007_02-automotive_air_conditioning-vintage_car_interior.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: History of Automotive Air Conditioning, Part 2 – The Aftermarket")
Cold Comfort: History of Automotive Air Conditioning, Part 2 – The Aftermarket
Posted on June 2, 2023 | 111 Comments(first posted 6/2/2017, updated 6/2/2023) As I detailed in Part 1 of this series, Packard, Cadillac, and Chrysler all dabbled in automotive air conditioning between 1940 and 1942. […] -
![(first posted 6/1/2017) I’ve never really seen a good, comprehensive history of Automotive Air Conditioning, so I decided to take it upon myself to write one, being somewhat […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/3604083691_bef5fcfaa1_b.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: History of Automotive Air Conditioning, Part 1 – Pre-World War II")
Cold Comfort: History of Automotive Air Conditioning, Part 1 – Pre-World War II
Posted on June 1, 2023 | 94 Comments(first posted 6/1/2017) I’ve never really seen a good, comprehensive history of Automotive Air Conditioning, so I decided to take it upon myself to write one, being somewhat […] -
![I saw this 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer on an auction site not too long ago, and what caught my attention was the hang-on style factory air conditioning system. I thought […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/1991JGW.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer – Last Mass-Produced Vehicle Without Integrated Air Conditioning?")
Cold Comfort: 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer – Last Mass-Produced Vehicle Without Integrated Air Conditioning?
Posted on November 16, 2021 | 25 CommentsI saw this 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer on an auction site not too long ago, and what caught my attention was the hang-on style factory air conditioning system. I thought […] -
![cozy even in Antarctica If I had a dollar for every comment I’ve read over the years about the terrible/non-existent heaters in old air-cooled VWs, I’d be…a few thousand dollars […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/VW-antarctica.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Why Millions Of People Think Air Cooled VWs Had Terrible Heating – Operator Error")
Why Millions Of People Think Air Cooled VWs Had Terrible Heating – Operator Error
Posted on January 28, 2021 | 74 Commentscozy even in Antarctica If I had a dollar for every comment I’ve read over the years about the terrible/non-existent heaters in old air-cooled VWs, I’d be…a few thousand dollars […] -
![My recent post on the 1953 Chrysler Airtemp air conditioning system and its rather unusual R-22 refrigerant spawned a little confusion over various A/C refrigerants, so I pulled together this […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/s-l1600-1.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: R-12, R-134a, and Beyond: The Alphabet Soup of Automotive Air Conditioning Refrigerants")
Cold Comfort: R-12, R-134a, and Beyond: The Alphabet Soup of Automotive Air Conditioning Refrigerants
Posted on December 15, 2020 | 53 CommentsMy recent post on the 1953 Chrysler Airtemp air conditioning system and its rather unusual R-22 refrigerant spawned a little confusion over various A/C refrigerants, so I pulled together this […] -
![After having covered most of the early GM and FoMoCo factory A/C systems, I’ll be turning my attention next to Chrysler, who made some truly interesting systems over the years. […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/a-ac.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: 1953 Chrysler Airtemp Air Conditioning")
Cold Comfort: 1953 Chrysler Airtemp Air Conditioning
Posted on December 14, 2020 | 29 CommentsAfter having covered most of the early GM and FoMoCo factory A/C systems, I’ll be turning my attention next to Chrysler, who made some truly interesting systems over the years. […] -
![Over the past several years, I’ve detailed much of the early history of automotive air conditioning in my Cold Comfort series of posts. However, air conditioning did not really become […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/014-1949-chevrolet-pickup-dash-fan.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: How People Kept Cool in Cars Before Air Conditioning")
Cold Comfort: How People Kept Cool in Cars Before Air Conditioning
Posted on November 19, 2020 | 31 CommentsOver the past several years, I’ve detailed much of the early history of automotive air conditioning in my Cold Comfort series of posts. However, air conditioning did not really become […] -
![Yesterday, I covered the history of single-zone automatic climate control systems. Today, I’d like to talk about something a little more modern: Dual-zone (and multi-zone) climate control. Dual-zone climate control (the […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_1154.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: The History of Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control")
Cold Comfort: The History of Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control
Posted on June 19, 2020 | 25 CommentsYesterday, I covered the history of single-zone automatic climate control systems. Today, I’d like to talk about something a little more modern: Dual-zone (and multi-zone) climate control. Dual-zone climate control (the […] -
![Most cars today are equipped with (or at least have available as an option) some form of automatic climate control, where you set the desired temperature, press auto, and […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/1964-Comfort-Control.jpg?resize=115%2C115&ssl=1 "Cold Comfort: The History of Automatic Climate Control")
Cold Comfort: The History of Automatic Climate Control
Posted on June 18, 2020 | 34 CommentsMost cars today are equipped with (or at least have available as an option) some form of automatic climate control, where you set the desired temperature, press auto, and […]
