Abstract: A head up display system is disclosed that includes a housing, an aspheric reflector, and a modular projection unit. The modular projection unit includes a backlight, a spherical reflector, an infrared mirror, one or more display devices, and cooling apparatus. The backlight has a spherical reflector with inner and outer reflective spherical surfaces and a central opening that is used to recycle light and provide a desired aperture shape. The one or more display devices may be liquid crystal displays, such as active matrix liquid crystal displays. Exemplary cooling apparatus includes an air inlet, a fan and an air outlet that forces air past heat generating components of the projection unit.