How Common Was Air Conditioning in 1962?

[Lark Hunter]

My 1962 Lark came with factory air, but the person who ordered the car skipped power steering, power brakes, clock, and some other cheap options. At least they sprung for a 259 2bbl. I know A/C wasn't a particularly cheap option. Anybody have any guesstimates on what percentage of cars were so equipped?

FWIW- It was originally a Southern CA car.

[Commander Eddie]

Even in 1962 A/C in cars was rare in California. I am guessing that was true throughout the country.
We did not see lower priced cars coming with A/C becoming more common until the early to mid seventies.

[StudeRich]

In Southern Calif. the average Summer Temp is close to 70 Degrees, NO ONE would even THINK about spending between an 8th and a 1/4 of the Price of the Car on something they would very seldom use.
I am sure that would go for Most of the rest of the Country in 1962, if it wasn't a Caddy or Lincoln, it had no Air.

Wait a Minute... isn't Humid Florida part of the US? .

[64studeavanti]

A/C was even rare in homes where I grew up in MT. My first A/C home was in 1991. I had cars with A/C in the early 80s. My first new car, a 67 Buick LeSabre, did not have A/C. That seemed to be the norm at that time. FWIW, I did not know many who had A/C in cars in So. Cal. during the 70s.

[8E45E]

There were two Studebakers I knew of in Alberta that were factory ordered with air conditioning, and one with it 'trunk shipped' and installed at the dealer's immediately upon arrival. One was a 1961 Cruiser, and a 1964 Commander 4 door sedan, and the car with the dealer installed unit, a late '65 Cruiser, which also had the rare vinyl roof option.

There may have been more with factory air sold in AB, but those are the only three that I know of.

Craig

[BobPalma]

I can answer this question accurately thanks to my copy of the 1963 Automotive News Almanac, which reports various statistics from 1962 model year production.

Here are the figures for the percentages of 1962 domestic model year cars that were equipped with factory-installed air conditioning:

American Motors: 6.53%

Chrysler Corporation: 8.14%

Ford Motor Company: 7.70%

General Motors: 14.53%

Studebaker: 1.90% (Larks, 1.50%; Hawks, 5.89%)

Ford Falcon, Mercury Comet, and Plymouth Valiant did not offer factory-installed air conditioning. Otherwise, the Studebaker Lark's 1.50% of fitment was the lowest percentage for an individual model, whereas 73.03% of Lincolns had factory air, the highest percentage of any individual model.

I suspect that Ford Motor Company having to sell so many Falcons and Comets without air brought their overall percentage below that of Chrysler Corporation. BP

[HOXXOH]

I nearly bought a '52 Commander 2-dr HT in the mid/late 60's that had the old trunk mounted air with ducts through the package shelf, when I was looking for a car to flat tow my '52 race car. The previous tow car was a '52 Champion and I needed more power. Fortunately, I found a '64 GT with air and a 289, just about the same time I took on a partner who had a car trailer. Both of those cars were in NW Ohio. IIRC, the trunk evaporator had a tag with the name "Novi" on it, which I found interesting at the time.
Later on, Chevy trucks did the towing and I moved to Phoenix in '71, where I had several Studebakers with air, with a '66 Daytona being the last one.

[StudeRich]

Stude's. 1.90 % vs GM's 14.53% at least partially, can be attributed to the FRUGALITY of most Stude. Buyers!

I do understand of course, that GM's Numbers include Higher end Cars than a Stude. ; Cad, Olds and Buick much more likely to have A/C.

[studegary]

I have owned more than 50 Studebakers. Only one had factory A/C. That was a 1960 Lark VIII out of Texas.

[Milaca]

I once had a black 1962 Hawk originally sold in Georgia with factory air.

[JimK]

If my memory serves, A/C was relatively uncommon in cars other than the premium brands until AMC made it standard equipment in the Ambassador (I think) in about 1967. This was a big deal at the time. My parents' first car with air was a 64 Chrysler 300 (non-letter), but did not get air in the following 66 Dodge Dart.

[Charlie D]

I was seven years old when dad bought a new '55 Pontiac with factory air. He traded in a '51 Studebaker for it. We left the next day for our usual 2 week vacation to my uncle's house in Bisbee, AZ. I was really proud of myself and several times when we would pass a car with it's windows down I would give a little wave from the back seat.
Charlie D.

[Lark Hunter]

I can answer this question accurately thanks to my copy of the 1963 Automotive News Almanac, which reports various statistics from 1962 model year production.

Studebaker: 1.90% (Larks, 1.50%; Hawks, 5.89%)

Oh, wow. I never expected anyone to have the exact figures. I should never underestimate the knowledge of The Great Bob Palma! ...and of everyone else who responded here.

The A/C take rate was about what I expected, except for Studebaker... the Lark in particular. It's kind of hard to imagine people going about daily life in the summer months without refrigeration... I remember going for job interviews in the Arizona heat with busted A/C some years back, carrying a change of fresh clothes with me, which I would quickly change into out in the parking lot... was concerned about walking in to a business with sweat dripping off of me. I guess 35 years before 1962, people were driving to work in the winter without heat .

[studegary]

I guess 35 years before 1962, people were driving to work in the winter without heat .

You didn't have to go back 35 years for some people. I remember when I was shopping for my new 1964 Fury. The Chrysler/Plymouth dealer in Poughkeepsie NY had a customer that bought a new Plymouth every year. He would not have a heater in it. It gets to well below zero F here. When the dealer ordered this guy's cars, he would also order a heater kit and keep it until the next year when the guy traded his car in.

[8E45E]

You didn't have to go back 35 years for some people. I remember when I was shopping for my new 1964 Fury. The Chrysler/Plymouth dealer in Poughkeepsie NY had a customer that bought a new Plymouth every year. He would not have a heater in it. It gets to well below zero F here. When the dealer ordered this guy's cars, he would also order a heater kit and keep it until the next year when the guy traded his car in.

I wonder if that dealer kept all the underhood and dashboard 'delete plates' for the heater. They could be worth a small fortune now as there's an interest in building Super Stock clones.

Craig