‘Wind Wings’ a Breath of Fresh Air for Some Drivers
Question: Why don’t auto makers bring back “wind wings”? We all want the nice air in our faces that side window vents used to provide. My 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass has wind wings, and they eliminate the need for air conditioning on most days. It’s better than riding in a convertible.
Raymond L. Liveley
Los Angeles
Answer: Mr. Liveley has a point. I also remember growing up with cars that had those wonderful little hinged windows that allowed you to feel fresh air without the hurricane-force wind blast you get when all four windows are open in today’s vehicles. Even opening a sunroof doesn’t provide the same refreshing breeze as the old wind wings did.
But don’t expect auto manufacturers to bring them back any time soon. These days the preferred way to cool off in your vehicle is to turn on the AC.
In the United States, almost all new cars and light trucks are sold with air conditioning, according to the most recent statistics from the Motor and Equipment Manufacturing Assn. But in 1986, only 69% of the cars on the road had AC, and only a small percentage had it in 1956, said association spokesman Neal Zipser.
Once AC became popular, auto makers stopped putting in side vents, Zipser said. By eliminating the side vents, they saved money on parts and tooling and made cars look sleeker and function better with improved aerodynamics.
Not everyone was as appreciative of side vents as Mr. Liveley, who’s 83. Zipser said “a lot of people thought they caused too much wind noise in vehicles.”
In fact, with all the exhaust, smog and noise pollution today, it’s often a relief to roll up the windows and turn on the AC. Who wants to be stuck in a freeway traffic jam in 90-degree heat with no air conditioning? If the hot air doesn’t get you, the exhaust fumes will.
Side vent windows were featured on cars from the late 1930s through the early 1970s, said Teri Olcott, who writes about classic and collector vehicles at www.vintagecars.com.
The first “modern” car designed without them was the 1966 Buick Riviera, she said. As auto makers tried to make vehicles sleeker-looking and more aerodynamic, they removed them from all new cars.
Wind wings--and air conditioning--came about with the advent of enclosed, or hard-top, vehicles.
Passengers in the early open-air automobiles enjoyed cool breezes when the vehicle reached top speeds of 15 mph. When auto makers began building enclosed cabs, finding ways to cool the car became necessary during hot summer days.
“Vents were put in the floors of cars, but this brought in more dirt and dust than it did cool air,” Olcott said. The vents later were moved to the side window area.
A crude form of air conditioning came into existence when most wheeled transport still was pulled by teams of horses.
In 1884, William Whiteley came up with the idea of “placing blocks of ice in a holder under horse carriages and blowing air inside by means of a fan attached to the axle,” Olcott said. The same concept was used to cool early motor vehicles when a bucket of ice was put near a floor vent.
Hot drivers also tried using an evaporative cooling system that still is available for vans and recreational vehicles, she said.
And for those luxury car owners who wanted protection from the wind in the 1920s and ‘30s, there were optional features that were like “windshield extensions for open cars.” These “deflected the wind away from the passenger and driver,” Olcott said.
The 1940 model Packard was the first car with a “refrigeration system,” or air conditioning. The following year, Cadillac built 300 cars with AC.
Those early air conditioning systems were anything but convenient, though. Because there was no compressor clutch, the AC pump was on when the engine was running. The only way to disengage it was to stop the car, open the hood and remove the belt, Olcott said.
Air conditioning controls weren’t available until after World War II, when Cadillac came out with the feature. Even then, the driver would have to climb into the back seat to turn off the AC, because Cadillac engineers installed the controls on the rear package shelf.
It wasn’t until 1957 that “factory air” was offered as a standard feature. The vehicle was the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham.
We Americans have been much more demanding about having AC in our vehicles than Europeans, Zipser said. Though European auto makers have been ahead of the U.S. on offering many safety features, only about 10% of new vehicles in Europe were equipped with AC in the early 1990s. Ten years later, it’s up to 65%.
Mr. Liveley, who belongs to the Southern California Oldsmobile Club, admits there are times when cranking up the AC in his newer 1995 Olds is the only way to feel comfortable on the streets of Los Angeles. But he says he’d rather take a spin around town in the ’65 with the wind wings open.
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Jeanne Wright cannot answer mail personally but responds in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Write to Your Wheels, Business Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. E-mail: jeanrite @aol.com.
