1930's car radio

first ones came out in 1929 so there were probably some about in the uk in

1936. getting one now...is gonna be very...very hard...if not impossible unless you have loads of wonga.

Steve

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "r.p.mcmurphy" saying something like:

The alternative is to simpy equip the passengers with ukelele, harmonica and maracas for that period feel.

They were, but the chances of finding a working one at a reasonable price are small. And finding spares for it would be difficult.

Since your car won't have a space for a fitted one, why not just use a modern one and either conceal it or make a period looking face plate?

Even car radios in the 50's were enormous. Having valves, something like a

7" or 8" cube with about a DIN size faceplate, and IIRC correctly, they came with a separate PSU. Another rather smaller box. To neatly fit one, even in an old car would be difficult, unless you had plenty of space behind the dash. Mike.

By the mid '50s, HMV Radiomobile made a one piece, but still all valve. You'll still find them around, as they were a pretty reliable design. But this isn't really period for a '30s car either - they look very '50s in design.

The point I was really making is that if they were as large as that in the

50's, they could have been even larger in the 30's. Trying to fit something that size into a '36 Morris 10 unobtrusively, would be virtually impossible. AFAIK radios were never an option in family cars of that period, so any that were retro-fitted must have looked a real bodge. There's simply nowhere to put it. Except maybe in the passengers parcel shelf and footwell, and the speaker has to go somewhere as well. On second thaughts I seem to recall early car radios had a built-in speaker, but maybe that's my memory playing tricks.

Your idea of a modern radio with a custom period facia is a much better idea IMO. Mike.

Many hanks to all that have repkied, I was not sure if radios were available in 1936. I shall not bother with a radio now.

regards

Torygraph featured a man in Blackpool what repairs classic car radios in the 18th December motoring supplement. ISTR he charges about £800-1500 for a fully restored, working 1930s valve radio.

FWIW I had one in a Humber Pullman that worked for AM only.

"Rolling along, the leafy highway. mumble, mumble to the rythm of the road You'll never be late if it's a "V8" When you're at the wheel of a V8 Ford."

The logical thing would be to fit modern innards to an old case - think the Vintage Wireless Company offer this.

Not 1930s but probably inkeeping with the vintage feel:

I have a 1965 Blaupunkt Frankfurt LW/MW/FM radio, and that is rather large. It has an extra box for the power pack that bolts underneath it.

-- Howard Rose

1966 VW Beetle 1300 Deluxe 1962 Austin Mini Deluxe 1964 Austin Mini Super Deluxe (cars on website)

VINTAGE WIRELESS CO Tel 061-973-0438 (Check this is the current number) FAX 061-777-8347 BRITANNIA GARAGE

8 BRITANIA RD SALE CHESHIRE M33 2AA

1930-1975 + RADIO REPAIRS