The history of the car radio

[Mercury]

My 1st car was a 1960 Rambler American, no radio. Joe

My first car was also a 1960 Rambler American. It had a tube (not transistor) radio that took about a minute to warm up before it would play anything.

That was a very interesting story about Motorola and Lear.
...Mercury

 

[Nightowl]

My first car was a 1948 Chrysler New Yorker Club Coupe. It had a Motorola, push button station selector that your could set, and the best sound ever!

I remember getting a radio signal from Del Rio, Texas, too.

 

[joe44va]

That was great. Thank you!
I remember when my folks bought their first new car: a 1959 Studebaker. The only option they got was an AM radio. I wonder if it was a Motorola?

 

[Ogandydancer]

I could be wrong but I think Bendix made some car radios. I also remember when FM became an option, no one much wanted it. Now all anyone plays in their cars is FM unless they are playing a CD.

The man that pioneered FM radio took a lot of bunk from folks telling him it would never be worth anything. Guess they were wrong Huh?

 

[DWalt]

My first car was a 1948 Chrysler New Yorker Club Coupe. It had a Motorola, push button station selector that your could set, and the best sound ever!

I remember getting a radio signal from Del Rio, Texas, too.

There are some very interesting stories about Border Radio, especially XERA in Del Rio, and some equally interesting characters, especially Dr. Brinkley, the Del Rio Goat Gland doctor, who was sort of the king of border radio. See: John R. Brinkley – Goat Gland Doctor – Legends of America

 

[OFT II]

There are some very interesting stories about Border Radio, especially XERA in Del Rio, and some equally interesting characters, especially Dr. Brinkley, the Del Rio Goat Gland doctor, who was sort of the king of border radio. See: John R. Brinkley – Goat Gland Doctor – Legends of America

Don't forget XERF with Wolfman Jack.

 

[DWalt]

Don't forget XERF with Wolfman Jack.

Yes, he was there for awhile, broadcasting from Del Rio. The studio building is still there today. The Mexican Government seized XERF in 1986, and that was more or less the end of border radio as it had been for years. Brinkley's station was XERA, also seized by the Mexican government.

Country/Western music was the staple of border radio, which actually played a major role in popularizing it throughout the USA.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Galvin Parkway, the main road that runs by the Phoenix Zoo and the Phoenix Botanical Gardens in east Phoenix, was named in Paul and Bob Galvin's honor. Bob was Paul Galvin's son, and ran the company in the '60s. Motorola plants in Phoenix brought high-tech research, development and manufacturing to this area and that resulted in boosting a booming post-war economy here.

I worked in professional recruiting for Motorola's Semiconductor Division in the mid-60s.

John

 

[Golddollar]

You can still get the AM "Super Station" big guns at night, in a car or at home. The Amateur Radio 160 meter band, great for nighttime operations, is just above the AM broadcast band.

As a Cleveland Indians fan, I was able to listen to their night games at my homes in Maryland and PA from the 50,000 watt station in Cleveland. One of the station's claims to fame was "being heard in 34 states and half of Canada."