when were heaters put in cars

[RhettLee]

The first dedicated car heaters were introduced around 1917-1920. The earliest systems were optional, expensive, and far from the comfortable, standard features we know today. The 1917 Anderson carriage is often credited with one of the first dedicated heater installations, but these were essentially pot-bellied stoves piped into the cabin. The landmark innovation came in 1929 when Ford's Model A offered the first factory-installed hot water heater as an option, which used engine coolant to warm the air, a principle still used in most internal combustion vehicles today.

The evolution of car heating was driven by necessity. Early cars were open-top, making heaters pointless. As enclosed cabins became standard, drivers faced harsh winter conditions. Early solutions were risky. Some involved pumping exhaust gases or using gasoline-burning boilers, which posed significant carbon monoxide poisoning and fire hazards. The shift to using waste heat from the engine coolant was a major safety and efficiency breakthrough.

It took decades for heaters to become standard equipment. By the late 1930s, heaters were more common in luxury cars, and by the 1950s, they were a standard feature in most American automobiles. The technology was refined with the introduction of climate control systems in the 1960s, which added thermostatic regulation for consistent temperature.

Milestone Year	Vehicle/Company	Key Innovation	Significance
1917	Anderson Carriage	Cabinet-style heater (coal/kerosene)	One of the first dedicated, aftermarket car heaters.
1929	Ford Model A	First factory-offered hot water heater	Utilized engine coolant, setting the modern standard.
1933	Nash Motors	"Weather Eye" heater	An early attempt at a integrated climate system.
1940s	Various	Improved blower fans	Moved heat more effectively throughout the cabin.
1950s	American Automakers	Standardization	Heaters became standard equipment on most cars.
1964	Cadillac	Comfort Control (auto climate)	First thermostatically controlled climate system.

[MacAriel]

I think it was in the late 1920s when they started showing up as an option. Before that, you were just out of luck if it was cold. My grandpa used to talk about driving with a heavy blanket on his lap in the Model T. The real game-changer was when they figured out how to use the hot water from the engine instead of those dangerous separate heaters. It took a while for every car to have one, though. It wasn't really a standard thing until after World War II.