A ventilation system for circulating cooling air through the instrument panel of an automotive vehicle whereby electronic components within the instrument panel, such as the radio, tape deck and audio components which may include power transistors, are cooled thereby improving the durability and reliability of the electronic components, the system including portions that are common to the vehicle air conditioning and ventilation system, wherein provision is made for establishing a cooling air flow path through a circuitous air flow passage in the vehicle instrument panel to instrument panel components, including the radio chassis, which are packaged in a compact fashion in a restricted space.