Hear Casablanca and you instantly think of elegant, slow-turning ceiling fans. It could be from the classic romantic movie set in Africa, or from the luxurious products bearing that nameplate. Casablanca ceiling fans have a cultivated reputation as the world's finest, and were in fact inspired by the namesake film.
In the early 70s ceiling fans had fallen out of popularity with the advent of air conditioning. The only models available were very plain, and very heavy. The Casablanca Fan Company began introducing decorative ceiling fans in the mid-70s. The very earliest models were designed only to be decorative and turned very slowly without moving any air. Burton A. Burton, the founder of Casablanca, had admired the fans in the movie and the decorative ambiance they provided. As ceiling fans regained popularity Casablanca began introducing models that were effective as well as elegant. Some of the earliest Casablanca models include the Victorian and the Zephyr, both replicas of fans from the early 1900s.
Casablanca was the first to introduce ceiling fans designed to be decorative as well as useful, and from that point on, became the industry innovator of fans. They were the first to introduce a fan with a silent infinitely variable speed control ("Slumber-Quiet"), the first to introduce computerized programmable wall and remote controls ("InteliTouch" and "ComfortTouch"), the first to introduce cutting edge modern designs (such as the Saturn and Venus). Casablanca fans have also set a standard for quality, using for many years Emerson K55 motors (the oldest Casablancas have K63 and Dayton motors, the newest have imported Casablanca XLP motors), hardwood blades, and quality finishes. Casablanca designs have always been gorgeous (their replicas have been very accurate and their new designs have been striking). Most other fan companies started by imitating or copying Casablanca.
As many other competing companies have emerged, and fan production has drastically shifted to overseas, Casablanca is still a leader but not the industry compass it once was. The majority of fans are lesser in price and quality, and use an imported design of motors. Casablanca fans are now made overseas but many use the XLP motor, which is an imported version of the American K55 motors. Casablanca still comes out with unique and innovative designs, however so many different companies now offer many varying designs that there are a large number for the consumer to choose from.
Casablanca fans with the XLP motor are as high a quality as anything else on the market, and among the best fans available if your budget allows. They offer traditional designs such as the Panama and Ventura, and impressive antique replicas such as the Victorian, 19th Century, Commodore Vanderbuilt, and New Orleans. Some original (modern) Casablanca designs of note include the Bel Air, Avalon/Malibu Star, Stealth, and Verrazano.
Casablanca still offers some very useful control options. The most popular is the InteliTouch, which offers individual and programmable control of the fan and light from a single 2 wire wall switch. The greatest benefit of this control is that it allows you to operate the fan and light from the wall without installing any additional wiring. Casablanca also offers fans with wireless remote controls and 3 speed pullchain operation.
Casablanca fans are offered in many different finishes with many different blade and light options. So in addition to the many brilliant fan designs you can further customize your fan to fit your decor. The finishes are of the very highest quality, the blades furniture grade veneer.
If a Casablanca fan is within your budget it is a purchase that will not be regretted. It is an opportunity to own part of a legacy that is beautiful as well as functional.
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