New Invention

[Slimy]

The Goldberg Brothers - The Inventors of the Automobile Air Conditioner

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


The four Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram, and Maxine, 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 120 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 -- Lo, Norm, Hi, and Max -- on the controls.

[91Bear]

I hope you don't believe this to be true.

[flyboy2610]

I hope you don't believe this to be true.

Now old man Ford was more than just a little anti- Semitic,

Yes. It is true. It is a well documented fact.
http://history.hanover.edu/hhr/99/hhr99_2.html
The AC story is, shall we say. suspect however.

[goldies67]

i got an odd question,who the hell would name their son maxine?????

[goldies67]

if i remember correctly,packard introduced the ac in 1939....

[Slimy]

guys...this is the humor site....I meant this as a joke.

[goldies67]

[dolinick]

While I was intently reading the story and believing every bit of it I thought to myself, "hmm, Maxine? My great Aunt's name is Maxine."

On a side note A week ago we had a couple of days with highs of 110 or very close and are in an extreme drought. I don't know when it's going to rain but the weather forecast calls for a high of 93 degrees this Tuesday and low of 62! Wow! I am so ready for some cooler weather.

[hazelnut]

I think its a funny joke, and also think its funny that people come to the humor section without a sence of humor

[dolinick]

I think its a funny joke, and also think its funny that people come to the humor section without a sence of humor

I didn't know I was in the humor section. I clicked on "view active topics" and saw "New Invention". I was totally intrigued and totally fell for it!.