Anybody up for a good conspiracy theory? The makers of automobile air conditioners have teamed up and made wing vent windows disappear!
Hey, it's a little plausible. After all, I remember a dramatic difference in the interior temperature of a big Plymouth when those vent windows were opened to blast wind into your surroundings at 60 MPH.
Wing vents had all sorts of uses. I really miss them.
I don't miss that whistling noise that would inevitably appear as your vehicle aged, though.
So, what was a vent window good for? I remember watching cigarette smoke miraculously get sucked out of the barely-cracked wing vent as mom would drive down the road. Every trace of smoke went straight for that vent window.
It was also perfect for sticking a seven-year-old foot through on a hot summer day.
And then there's access to a locked vehicle. My first car was a 1965 Falcon. I remember leaving my keys in the ignition once with the doors locked. No prob. A strategically placed pocket knife blade pried up the vent window's locking lever and I was able to reach in and grab the keys.
Yeesh. It's a wonder nobody stole my $29.95 underdash eight-track player.
If your wing vent was unlockable from the outside, it was also the cheapest window to break if all else failed.
There's no doubt about it, though. The air blast you got from wide open wing vents on a hot summer day when your thrifty Norwegian father was driving down the road with the air conditioner turned off kept you cool. And if another window was open, it also kept the interior of your car completely free of small lightweight objects.
Wing vents disappeared gradually. The 1968 Camaros and Firebirds were released without vent windows. Hey, who needed them when you had Astro Ventilation and 29 cent gas?
See, I told you it was those A/C manufacturers behind all of this! ;-)
As the 70's went on, more and more carmakers did away with the diminutive windows. My 1973 Celica didn't have them. However, Toyota did put them in pickups until well into the 80's.
Today, though, there is nary a vent window to be seen. Lock your keys in the car and you're better of forking over 50 or more bucks to a locksmith than breaking a big window. And it just doesn't seem as cool inside on a hot summer day with regular windows rolled down.
Curse that A/C manufacturing cartel!
Comments (7)
Ed. note: I published this a bit quickly by mistake. Look for my next column on Friday.
Posted by Ron Enderland | September 5, 2007 12:35 PM
Posted on September 5, 2007 12:35
Yah! Right on brother! Bring back wings.
We used to hang our wet bathing suits on them, by the time we got home - nicely dried.
Posted by Going Like Sixty | September 5, 2007 1:48 PM
Posted on September 5, 2007 13:48
I am so excited to find this site about wing windows. I've been working on a new invention for over two months to bring back the wings. My 67 Firebird had them. As of Sept.6th I have Patent Pending statis and hope to have my product out by Thanksgiving. Wing windows had so many functions like saving money on fuel, getting read of that unwanted smoke, breaking into your own car because you locked your keys in after you smoked. Anyway this was a great find. Vent Wing Air will be returning soon to a vehicle near you. Long live the wing window.
Posted by Rodney H | September 27, 2007 11:34 PM
Posted on September 27, 2007 23:34
Hey Rod,
I remember the vent wings on my 55 chevy. Why did they stop useing them? I wish you the best,
Becky
Posted by Becky | October 1, 2007 10:00 PM
Posted on October 1, 2007 22:00
My first car was a 1968 Buick Special Deluxe. It had those little triangular vent windows that operated with little cranks. I thought they were great! I could get a little air in the car without my hair getting all messed-up and I hardly remember sweltering in the summer despite my car's lack of air conditioning. Do you also remember the oval-shaped vents with the diagonal louvers in the kick panels under the dash board that were operated by sliding levers? They also contributed to cooling the car even in the hottest weather.
Posted by Mike | December 30, 2007 11:49 PM
Posted on December 30, 2007 23:49
Wing vents were wonderful! You could regulate fresh air flow on a warm day without creating a cyclone effect inside the car by having the big windows rolled all the way down. And in winter, while running the heater, the driver could get a little relief while running the heater wide open to keep the back seat passengers toasty warm. I too, remember the operable vents in the kick panels under the dash. Progress sure has its drawbacks, sigh.
Posted by NCeddie | November 23, 2008 2:53 AM
Posted on November 23, 2008 02:53
Seeing as there is a current link to this article and the most recent post was 3 days ago, I thought I’d relate an experience I had with wing vents. In 1964 a trip to S.C. resulted in a large cache of illegal (in VT) fireworks being transported home. (I was one of those teenagers who thought startling people was amusing, which is no longer the case - amusing or teenaged.) Later while cruising in a friend’s 1957 Pontiac Chief with assorted cherry bombs and other explosives in my pockets, I lit one and rolled down the window (I thought) to throw it out. It turned out that I had cranked the wing vent (they had an alternate handle near the window crank) and my hand rapped against the still closed window with a lit fuse growing shorter. I panicked and threw the bomb into the back seat without warning the driver and plugged my ears. Fortunately temporary ear ringing on the driver’s part was the only downside as loss of control was a distinct possibility. I never confused the vent & window handles after that.
Posted by Burt | November 26, 2008 6:27 PM
Posted on November 26, 2008 18:27