American Restoration show On History Channel- Kelvinator fridge

[Bordeaux Daytona]

I was ready to watch American Pickers last night and instead they had this new show on instead.
They must have given the guy that restores stuff for the pawn stars shop a show.
On the second episode they had an old 50's Kelvinator fridge that a customer wanted restored for their garage.
I remember that we used to have one of those and looked in the basement to see if it was still there.
It was! My mom used to use it as a backup fridge.
The show was saying they're worth 3 grand restored. I doubt that. I was looking for a picture of one and craiglist had them for 75 - 200 bucks.
Anyway the show's kind of cool. The fridge is neat because of it's ties to Nash.


John V.

[Milaca]

It's interesting that many of the automobile manufacturers also owned refrigeration manufacturing companies back in the 1950's and 1960's. International Harvester, Nash Kelvinator (later AMC Kelvinator), GM Frigidaire, Ford Philco, Crosley (which introduced the Shelvador, the first to have shelves in the door) and of course Studebaker's Franklin division (which also made appliances for other companies rebadged as Gibson, Nordge and others). Anybody know if Chrysler made refrigerators?

[Dwain G.]

Not sure about fridges, but if you're over 50 you must have heard of Chrysler Airtemp.
They made residential air conditioners, and furnaces too.

[JBOYLE]

Kelvinator also made helicopters....Sikorsky R-6s under license in the war.

[showbizkid]

I worked for a lady in the 70s who had a '54 Kelvinator side-by-side like the one in the pic above... except it was TWICE as wide! I never knew they'd made side-by-sides back that far until I met her. Neat old machine.

[Lothar]

Nash was also the parent company for Leonard refrigerators. I have a 1949 Leonard keeping my beer nice and cold right now.

Do you see the similarity in the logos, at least the L and N?

[8E45E]

I worked for a lady in the 70s who had a '54 Kelvinator side-by-side like the one in the pic above... except it was TWICE as wide! I never knew they'd made side-by-sides back that far until I met her. Neat old machine.

Was it actually all one unit? Or was it two separate refrigerator and freezer units designed to butt up to each other? I have seen a few of those over the years, and some today such as Fisher-Paykal sell a 'doubling' kit to make it appear as one unit. http://www.fr.fisherpaykel.ca/admin/...Joiner_Kit.pdf

Craig

[Jim B PEI]

Fisher & Paykel! New Zealand's little company that could. Didn't know they had a presence in Canada--but then I stopped looking at appliances, Mike Holmes, DIY shows/magazines some years ago

[showbizkid]

Was it actually all one unit? Or was it two separate refrigerator and freezer units designed to butt up to each other?

Yes, it was one big unit. The freezer side was nearly as big as the fridge! Thing was huge, and PINK!

[Bordeaux Daytona]

is this it? the Kelvinator Foodarama

[Milaca]

I like the styling of those old refrigerators as they were curvacious and artistic, whereas todays refrigerators are flat rectangles and very bland. I predict that refrigerators will soon be offered with retro styling...but maybe not with pink as a color choice.

[sweetolbob]

We had that exact model in Deer Camp that ran on Propane during the 70's. 80's and into the early 90's. It never gave a bit of problems during that time and the biggest problem was it got way to cold at times. Not a problem unless you drank Lite beer, Which it froze on occasion. Luckily, Lite beer was not on my list of necessities during that time frame. Just had to protect my stash from the Lite beer drinkers.

Bob

[8E45E]

Yes, it was one big unit. The freezer side was nearly as big as the fridge! Thing was huge, and PINK!

Quite interesting! In the '60's, they also offered some very high-end refrigerators as well, some with leather facing on the door, and some with wood to match the cabinets; all in large capacities.

http://books.google.ca/books?id=JUEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11-IA1&lpg=PA11-IA1&dq=kelvinator+maverick&source=bl&ots=RBq6YQfebm&sig=r6e0kKJo7vidAssM1uNtZn30NgM&hl=en&ei=mSjJTI2uPIf6swPh5JmCDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=kelvinator%20maverick&f=false

One thing I did read about Kelvinator some time ago, was they weren't exactly targeted to Rambler buyers who wanted something cheap and economical. Their appliance line was more in line for Cadillac owners.

Craig

[comatus]

More than one of those curvaceous and artistic "fridges" were by a designer we would all recognize. The '39 Frigidaire is the one he mentions in his book.

They run forever, as we all know; they're supposed to be inefficient in their electricity use. Pretty amazing machines, though, in 39. And 49, 59, 69...

[Bob Bryant]

It's interesting that many of the automobile manufacturers also owned refrigeration manufacturing companies back in the 1950's and 1960's. International Harvester, Nash Kelvinator (later AMC Kelvinator), GM Frigidaire, Ford Philco, Crosley (which introduced the Shelvador, the first to have shelves in the door) and of course Studebaker's Franklin division (which also made appliances for other companies rebadged as Gibson, Nordge and others). Anybody know if Chrysler made refrigerators?

We had no idea there was a relationship between Studebaker, Franklin, & Gibson. A new Gibson refrigerator purchased in 1960 for $100 by Carol and me as newlyweds is still keeping some beverages cold in her uncle's home in Park Ridge to our awareness. It had to be a great product.