All car manufacturers employ some kind of system to exhaust cabin air out while allowing fresh air in. But in 1971, General Motors‘ full-size fleet introduced one of the worst features in automotive history, the “forced air” ventilation system.

GM wisely changed the design in 1972 to a system that moved the exhaust drains from trunk louvers to the car door lock pillars, allowing for insulation from the elements. Given such seemingly obvious problems, it’s a wonder the forced air ventilation system made it to production, much less became the star of GM’s 1971 over-the-top TV ad campaign.

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