LOOKING FOR 1942 CADILLAC LIMO WITH AC OWNED BY MOVIE PRODUCER DAVID SELZNICK

[archiveman2977]

1-21-21

I am writing an illustrated history of automotive air-conditioning.

I am searching for the whereabouts or at least a better image of this 1942 Cadillac 75 Limo. It was a one-off, special order car for David O. Selznick and his wife, Jennifer Jones, as Cadillac offered AC only in 1941.

This image and information appeared in "Cadillacs of the Forties," by Roy A. Schneider.

Attached is the image.

Thanks, Allen
archiveman2977

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

Not to nitpick, but Selznick and Jennifer Jones were married to different people in 1942. Selznick was married to his first wife, Irene Mayer, daughter of L.B. Mayer, head of MGM. The joke at the time at the studio was "The son-in-law also rises".

Jennifer Jones was married to actor Robert Walker, who she dumped in 1949 to marry Selznick.

Errors like this in articles are why I am always leery of stories about the provenance of different cars. Unless there is contemporary documentation, these stories should be disregarded.

[David King (kz78hy)]

For your reference, Gene Dickirson also compiled a history of Climate controls.  Gene is local CLC member here in the Motor City and continues to serve on the Board.  He retired from Ford where he did HVAC work.

https://www.amazon.com/Automotive-Climate-Control-Years-Progress/dp/1105183610/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1611511038&refinements=p_27%3AGene+D.+Dickirson&s=books&sr=1-1

[Jon Riley #13576]

This is not the car you are referring to.  But this car is in Michigan and occasionally on display at the Gilmore car Museum.


https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/sj13/st--john-s/lots/r148-1941-cadillac-series-75-five-passenger-touring-sedan-by-fleetwood/293691


See minute 1:15
https://youtu.be/Q5NWfA-u3kA

[79 Eldorado]

I am writing an illustrated history of automotive air-conditioning....

Thanks, Allen
archiveman2977

Hi Allen,
I don't have a link to an article from him but Dr Mohinder Bhatti worked for Harrison Radiator /Delphi and he had a passion for history. He documented a lot of A/C and climate control history. If you can find reference to his work it should be beneficial. There is a 1954 Pontiac sitting in the former Harrison Radiator (now MAHLE) building 6 lobby, in Lockport NY, which was the first production AC car with a "front mounted system"; "front mounted" meaning under hood. To be clear this was just an example of that first "Front mounted system car" and not the first one off the line.

Dr Bhatti retired from Delphi but he was still working part time as a professor at the University of Buffalo the last I knew.

Here's a link to the restoration of the "First Front mounted A/C system". I just found the article when I couldn't find the photos I took of the condenser/radiator area.
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/macs/action_201303/index.php?startid=28#/p/28

Best regards,
Scott

[archiveman2977]

2-2-21
Hi Alan,

Yes, information needs to be verified before printing. You are correct about Irene Mayer, wife of David O. Selznick.

More importantly, I'm searching for his special ordered 1942 Cadillac 75 with air-conditioning.

Thanks,
Allen

[archiveman2977]

2-2-21
Hi David,

Thanks for your reference about climate controls with Gene Dickirson.

Several years ago, I bought his book, Automotive Climate Control 116 Years of Progress.  In fact, Gene graciously assisted me with images of Richard Kughn's 1941 Cadillac Series Seventy-Five Touring Sedan, Model 7519, equipped with air-conditioning.

He visited Mr. Kughn's collection in 2011, took extensive images of the car, and published them in black and white. Gene searched for those images, scanned and sent the color images which are now in the 1941 Cadillac AC chapter of my forthcoming book.

Thanks to Gene, and other sources in the CLC, the 1941 Cadillac AC chapter in Volume 1 of my book, Cool Cars in Cooler Comfort, An Illustrated History of Automotive Air-Conditioning, contains 60+ color and B&W images of the only three air-conditioned 1941 Cadillacs in existence.

Further, Volume 1 covers five chapters: 1940-1942 Packard, 1941 Cadillac, and 1941 Chrysler AC cars. In all, there will be 400+ color and B&W images in about 260 pages. I am in the editing and formatting stage now. It will sell on Amazon, hopefully this spring.

Thanks again for your interest,
Allen

[archiveman2977]

2-2-21
Hi Jon,

Thanks for your input with the Sotheby's auction of Richard Kughn's 1941 Cadillac Seventy-Five, equipped with air-conditioning.

Yes, I have seen the auction information.

This was the car that Gene Dickirson imaged in Mr. Kughn's collection in 2011, and shared with me for my 1941 Cadillac AC chapter.

It seems there are no coincidences, and that the old car universe is, in fact, a small one.

Thanks again,
Allen

[archiveman2977]

2-2-21
Hi Scott,

Thanks for the references about early AC and specifically the restored 1954 Pontiac with AC, now in Lockport, Ny.

Yes, I have quoted some of Dr. Bhatti's early AC statements in his "Evolution of AC" series.

Coincidentally, I have incorporated the ACtion magazine article in my 1954 Pontiac AC chapter, in the upcoming Volume 3, Cool Cars in Cooler Comfort, spotlighting the 1954-1957 AC cars.

In fact, I contacted a gentleman in Maine some time ago who restored a 1954 Pontiac Star Chief sedan with AC. He kindly sent me color images for the chapter. I am glad that I contacted him, have beautiful images for the chapters, especially so, since he sold it to someone in Europe!

Thanks for sharing this information.

Allen