Car Radio - How did it all begin?
I recently read an article about the history of the car radio. I wondered how factual this article was and did some digging. The internet sheds light on a few other key players that deserve a mention for their contribution.
This article doesn’t list every inventor and will probably disappear in to the internet archive to gather dust but I hope it might balance out some of the articles out there which only have a single focus.
Kennedy Universal "portable" circa 1923.
Magnavox amplifier on the running board , Magnavox R-3 horn speaker as well as earphone sets hanging from the car's top. A large loop antenna sits on the hood. Photo from the Henry Ford Museum and Science & Invention Magazine
I’ll start in 1922…roll in the mists of time.
In 1922, the concept of a car radio was in its infancy, and several key developments and experimental milestones were taking place. The idea of installing a radio in a car was being explored by various radio enthusiasts and engineers. Early car radios faced significant technical challenges, including power supply issues, interference from the car’s electrical system, and the need for effective antennas. Chevrolet is credited with the first use of in-car radios in the early 1920s. However, they were bulky, heavy, and expensive. Early radios cost $150 at a time when a new Chevrolet car cost under $1,000 – so the radios sold poorly.
One of the earliest known experiments with car radios was conducted by George Frost, an American radio enthusiast. In 1922, he successfully installed a radio in his Model T Ford. Frost’s setup included a radio receiver and a large antenna mounted on the car but only when it was stationary! Driving with the equipment was cumbersome and reception quality was poor due to the interference and lack of stable power. Daimler also showed off the “Marconiphone” at the 1922 Olympia Motor Show in London.
During the early 1920s, radios used vacuum tubes, which were large, fragile, and required significant power. This made the installation in cars particularly challenging. The technology was not yet practical for widespread use. While not yet commercially available or widely used, the experimental work done by pioneers like George Frost was crucial in demonstrating the potential of in-car entertainment and set the stage for the development of more practical and reliable car radios in the following decade.
Photo credit: https://www.garemaritime.com/william-meriheina-inventive-survivor/
1924
Alfred Traeger, an Australian inventor and radio engineer achieved significant recognition for his contributions to mobile radio technology, particularly his development of the pedal-powered radio transceiver for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, revolutionizing communication in remote areas of Australia. Alfred’s technology aided future inventors.
1925
William Heina developed a working car radio by adapting existing radio technology to be used in an automobile. He addressed issues like power supply and signal interference from the car’s electrical system. Heina’s car radio was an experimental setup that involved placing a radio receiver in a car and finding ways to mitigate the noise and interference caused by the car’s engine and electrical components. While Heina’s car radio was not the first to be commercially sold, his pioneering efforts contributed to the development of practical car radios.
1929
Following Heina’s experimental work, Paul and Joseph Galvin of the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation (later Motorola) began developing the first commercially successful car radio. The Motorola 5T71 launched in 1930. This model overcame many technical challenges already identified by early experimenters like Heina and became widely popular.
The Motorola 5T71 was the first commercially available car radio costing a whopping USD$130, which was about one-fifth the price of a car at that time.
It required:
– a significant amount of installation effort
– involving the placement of the radio receiver
– a separate speaker
– the car’s battery for power
– an antenna outside the car
– a system for managing electrical noise from the car’s ignition system
Motorola 5T71. Photo Credit : https://www.autoclasico.com.mx/site/eng/?p=967#google_vignette
*FUN FACT* The name "Motorola" was a combination of "motor" (for car) and "ola" (a popular suffix used in audio products at the time, like Victrola). This name eventually became the company's brand. Hopefully you'll get a few points at the next quiz with that one! The 5T71 was successful, desirable and set the stage for the vast array of car audio systems we have today.
Sources
“Alfred Traeger” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Traeger
Bolton, W. “Distracted Driving in 1934” Livermore Heritage Guild Vol. LI No. 1. https://www.lhg.org/Documents/Newsletters/News2020-2029/2023_11.pdf
Berg, N. (2020, May 21). “Great inventions: the car radio”. https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/great-inventions-the-car-radio/
Firby, D. (2020, August 8). “The history of car radios, from AM to Apple”. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/technology/article-the-history-of-car-radios-from-am-to-apple/
Facebook Post MotorCities National Heritage Area (2023, June 28). retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=648451273978713&set=a.478426257647883
Telecom Milestones Along The History Of Telecom And Electronics Technology. “The History of Car Radio. “https://www.telecom-milestones.com/car-radio