The Frigidaire Flair electric range, introduced in 1960, features a space-saving slide-out cooktop.
Quirky space-age range has a cult-like following
By Alan Wolf, YSN
Given the current crop of connected ranges that can download recipes and cook meals on command, it’s easy to overlook the first generation of space-age ovens.
Among the most unique was the Frigidaire Flair, a Jetsons-era electric range inspired by (some would say copied from) Tappan’s Fabulous 400. According to author James Kraus, both products, along with a third contender, the Roper Charm, featured a novel form factor: dual side-by-side oven compartments with control knobs above and a retractable, four-burner cooktop below. Each model had full glass doors, stainless steel accents and sat atop an optional storage cabinet.
Frigidaire’s innovation, introduced by R&D chief Jayne van Alstyne (holder of the patent for the first stackable washer/dryer), was parallelogram hinges and counterbalancing springs, which allowed the oven doors to swing up rather than out for safe and easy access. The manufacturer, then owned by General Motors, also staggered the burners — two in front, two in the rear — unlike Tappan’s in-line configuration.
The Flair would become the poster-appliance for 1960s innovation, and got its biggest boost from the TV sitcom “Bewitched,” where it held a central place in Elizabeth Montgomery’s kitchen. It earned an encore 30 years later in the period series “Mad Men,” appearing in the home of characters Pete and Trudy Campbell.
Kraus praised the Flair for its “ingenuity of design, charm and stylish flourishes,” as well as the “easy, safe ergonomics of an eye-level oven with slide-up door.” Apparently he’s not alone: a cult of personality has developed around the range, with fans vying for working models and replacement parts on Facebook pages and decorating and home improvement sites.
Tapping into that fondness for the past is BrandSource Hall of Famer Mark Pardini, principal of Pardini Appliance & Mattress. The Ukiah, Calif., dealer owns no less than five Frigidaire Flairs, which join an extensive collection of antique and retro appliances that are stationed throughout the store. Pardini said the display-only models are cherished collectors’ pieces that create a nostalgic calm in customers, which is conducive to sales of more contemporary items.
With consumers clamoring for vintage appliances in general, and Frigidaire’s retro range in particular, perhaps it’s time to retool a production line and rekindle America’s love affair with the Flair.
Hat tip to YSN reader Nancy Montella.
