Here’s a fun way to start your dreary, dreary morning! You can do something that royalty and religious leaders have been doing since at least the time of Ur! Guess what car a given A/C unit came from! Yes, it’s as exciting as it sounds, likely more exciting! Feeling ready? Feeling lucky? Here we go! Rotate your eyeballs slightly upwards to see the unit in question, and make your guesses!
Here’s a larger image, with context from the brochure that I hope won’t give it away:
I love the bold colors here, and that very happy woman, seen in profile, absolutely kissed by the rays of the sun, and I also love how the HVAC system is named “Lever-temp” like the use of a lever is the big draw here. “Ooh, a lever!” people would bellow. “You know, Archimedes said he could move the Earth with one of those! Well, if he had a place to stand, of course.”
The real fun part, though, is that the look of the AC unit actually hints at the car it came from! Ready to find out?
It’s an Edsel! A 1960 Edsel, when they got rid of the horse collar/vulva grille in favor of this divided grille with the hourglass-shaped gap in the middle, a motif that is repeated on the AC unit! I think it’s the only AC unit that has mimicked its host car’s grille? I think?
Even if its not, it’s a lot better than this AC-related embarrassment seen on a Subaru that The Bishop showed me:
Oh, is it equipped for installation of optional A/C? Thanks so much for the reminder, Subaru, like the lack of cool air wasn’t enough to remind me what a broke-ass I am, thanks. A simple blanking plate not enough? You had to kill any lie I might make about how my Subaru was “too powerful to have A/C” or something?
Thanks a lot. Jerks.
I guessed ’60 Ford, which effectively used the dash, so I was pretty damn close!
Sooooo, if I slide that lever on the Subie over to the A/C spot no cold air will come out?? bummer!
I was thinking this must be a pretty early (maybe pre-WW2) model or an import since I don’t see CONELRAD marks on the radio.
I was going to guess 1970 Dodge Coronet based on the front grille, but on closer inspection the Dodge has vertical fins while the A/C unit has horizontal fins.
Related: I had an ’82 Subaru GL wagon, and it had that stupid “Car is equipped for installation” badge thing on the dash. Thanks for that memory! At that point I didn’t care much, because it had electric windows, so I had factory-equipped 4/60 AC.
Ford Ranger S pickups had a dinky single row radiator with a warning “not suitable for AC”. Apparently you needed a bigger radiator and a 2.3 liter engine. (the S had a 2.0 and stripes to show you were cheap or broke)
It seems to be the same as the regular Ford air conditioning unit. Which makes sense as a 60 Edsel is just a Ford with a different grill and taillights. I feel like the resemblance to the Edsel grill is a coincidence https://apvintageautoparts.com/shop/1962-ford-galaxie/1961-62-ford-galaxie-under-dash-ac-temp-control/
Edsel flitted though my mind, but then I was thinking Pontiac or Olds.
Clearly Subaru should have put that disclaimer where the PRNDL indicator would have been.
Well played!
I remember toyota had a blank insert where the a/c button would be, but at least it wasn’t poor shaming like that.
Stop bashing Subaru! Customers got lucky. Subaru could have installed the A/C button, but let it play a sad trombone sound effect when pressed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQeezCdF4mk
Edsel is a perfect business case study for launching a brand. The vertical grill was distinctive but not particularly attractive. Compare that to the BMW Beaver and Lexus Predator which have been successful because they are already established premium brands. The giant BMW grill signals to people that you are driving a BMW. Nobody knew what an Edsel was supposed to be so you were just driving an ugly car.
I’m so happy BMW and Lexus each are backing away from those designs. It’s like the Magic Wand tool captured too much front fascia on a badly lit render, spilled a little coffee on the Delete key, said fuck it and shipped the gaping voids as a grill.
The giant BMW grill signals to people that you are driving a BMW. Nobody knew what an Edsel was supposed to be so you were just driving an ugly car.
The giant BMW grill signals to people you are driving a BMW and have questionable taste. It’s like a neck tattoo for yuppies.
The Ed Hardy trucker hat of self indulgent wieners.
When you drive a BMW you’re also just driving an ugly car.
The funny thing is, Edsel was projected to be a success if it hit a certain percentage of Pontiac’s 1955 sales. But that was the peak year for car sales until 1965, and 1958 was a terrible year – and Edsel actually beat the target % of Pontiac sales that year.
But Robert McNamara hated the whole Edsel project and did everything he could to get it killed.
> You had to kill any lie I might make about how my Subaru was “too powerful to have A/C” or something?
Look, if this came from a Justy, you can drive the compressor pulley or wheels but not both. Choose wisely.
Guessed Pontiac Something. Thought of who (also) had the split in middle.
1960 Edsel. What do I win?
Crap….should have read the whole thing
Sadly, a 1960 Edsel.
Jerks. They’re what makes a Subaru a Subaru.
I saw what appears to be a W on the bezel, so I was gonna guess Wartburg. Oops.
Given the author, a Wartburg is a defensible guess.
I don’t think Wartburg offered ac as an option. Unless one means conditioning the surrounding air and followers/bystanders with 2-stroke fumes.
Also, Professor Torchinsky should provide us with an analysis of the Wartburg door handles, especially inside.