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Several points to
note on this subject.
Solex (tinted)
glass was introduced in the US auto industry during the 1951 and 1952 model
years. It was a separate option not tied to air conditioning and was
just slightly higher in price than clear glass. You could order just
the windshield tinted or you could order all glass tinted. For almost all
cars a shaded (darker upper band) windshield was also available. Some cars
some years, such as '57-61 tall back window Mopars also offered a shaded back
glass with a silver tint so back seat passengers did not sunburn their
necks.
As late as 1957
when a Mopar was ordered with air conditioning, there was no
factory requirement that tinted glass also be ordered. I own a
needs-restored '57 Chrysler 300C convertible that the factory build sheet shows
was built with clear glass all windows and factory air
conditioning.
I recall
corresponding with someone authoritative that it was 1958 when Mopar
started automatically packaging full Solex tinted glass with the air
conditioning option.
After a decade or
so, safety experts determined that looking through green tinted glass at
red/yellow/green intersection stop lights (particularly those hung
overhead) was distorting the colors of the lights so about 1961 (I'm unsure
exactly) the glass industry changed the color of the Solex tint to blue and it
remains that way to this day including all reproduction windshields for '50s
cars.
The green Solex
was particularly prone to fading and the blue is too but far less so. If
your car came with tinted glass, in the logo (or "bug") area of the glass it
states "Solex". Solex is a registered trademark.
Hope this
helps.
Wayne
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