Inventors of the Automobile Air Conditioner OT

[jd52cranbrook]

Goldberg Brothers: Inventors of the Automobile Air Conditioner

Here's a little factoid for automotive buffs or just to dazzle your friends.

The four Goldberg Brothers

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 --

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Lo, Norm, Hi, and Max -- on the controls.

[Don Coatney]

Good story! Now tell us how the "off" position on the AC control switch got its name:cool:

[Plymouthy Adams]

now really look up refrigeration and find that they had tons of freon as a by product (spelled waste) with no appliation until ..

[jd52cranbrook]

Good story! Now tell us how the "off" position on the AC control switch got its name:cool:

That would be their Cousin,

Old Fat Fredick

[Don Coatney]

Jacob Perkins knows the answer.

[oldodge41]

Jacob Perkins knows the answer.

Yes but he got his info from Oliver Evans I'm told!

[greg g]

Didn't the Golbergs have a do nothing cousin know as JACK?????

[BobT-47P15]

You may remember their Uncle Rube.

[49roadster]

I think you will find that Packard had it in 1939.

[B-Watson]

I think you will find that Packard had it in 1939.

The story would be better if had a pre-war date. In 1946 HF II was in charge as his grandfather was too old. His mind wandered and had little interest in the company he founded.

Just as an aside, the three manufacturers that had A/C before the war were Packard, Cadillac and Chrysler. After the war Packard, GM and Chrysler were the first to bring back A/C. Ford was the last of the Big Three to off A/C.

Bill

Toronto, ON

[old stovebolt]

Goldberg Brothers: Inventors of the Automobile Air Conditioner

Here's a little factoid for automotive buffs or just to dazzle your friends.

The four Goldberg Brothers

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That was very funny, thank you.