Post by Charlie on Apr 22, 2007 17:14:51 GMT -5
Here is something you car buffs probably didn't know.
The 3 Goldberg brothers, Norman, Hiram, and Maxwell invented and developed
the first automobile air-conditioner.
Didn't know that, did ya?..
On July 17th, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97º.
The 3 brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his
secretary into telling him that 3 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 andinstead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their
car.
They persuaded him to get into the car which was about 130º, 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 dollars 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 that it was installed in.
Now old man Ford was more than just a little bit Anti-Semitic, and there
was no way he was going to put the Goldberg's name on 2 million Ford cars.
They haggled back and forth for about 2 hours and finally agreed on 4
million dollars and that just their first names would be shown.
And so, even today, all Ford air-conditioners show on the controls, the
names "Norm, Hi, & Max".
__________________
The 3 Goldberg brothers, Norman, Hiram, and Maxwell invented and developed
the first automobile air-conditioner.
Didn't know that, did ya?..
On July 17th, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97º.
The 3 brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his
secretary into telling him that 3 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 andinstead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their
car.
They persuaded him to get into the car which was about 130º, 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 dollars 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 that it was installed in.
Now old man Ford was more than just a little bit Anti-Semitic, and there
was no way he was going to put the Goldberg's name on 2 million Ford cars.
They haggled back and forth for about 2 hours and finally agreed on 4
million dollars and that just their first names would be shown.
And so, even today, all Ford air-conditioners show on the controls, the
names "Norm, Hi, & Max".
__________________
