Vintage Factory Radios, Still Working
Its sometimes remarkable to see an old well-maintained car on the road, even more remarkable when the factory radio is installed and still working.
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In the video above, the factory 8-track player in a 1978 Grand Marquis still works, and it doesn’t sound bad at all. When switching from FM to AM, the mechanical presets switch as well. My dad’s 1978 Honda Civic had an AM/FM radio like this with one speaker in the center of the dash. To set a station, you pulled the reset switch and pushed it in to set it. It wasn’t always precise and the mechanical nature of it sometimes caused it to lose track of the preset, but it got the job done.
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The classic Saab 900 had the option of an equalizer and spectrum analyzer mounted in the lower half of the center stack. The lights danced with a slightly delayed motion for a fluid appearance.
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The radio above is remarkable for its motorized automatic tuner. From the video caption:
In 1959 any radio was an option and most people opted for the standard AM Pushbutton Radio. Of course there was no FM or Stereo in 1959 but you could get a rear seat speaker!
Ford did offer a rare option that is present and working in this car. It is called a Town and Country radio and used a motorized mechanism to turn the dial until a signal was acquired. The “T” bar closed in on the stronger stations when in Town where more radio stations existed. The “C” button settled for the weaker signals it could locate on the open road of the “Country”. Pretty rare option and especially unusual to find one that looks this good and actually works! Don’t plan to plug in your IPOD though!
Its the mechanical predecessor to digital scan/seek!
Here’s some Saab head units:
Of course, you can’t talk about vintage car audio without mentioning the Becker Mexico:
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The Mexico was available in Mercedes-Benzes and earned a reputation for clean sound and reliability. A modernized lookalike of the Becker Mexico is out there for someone who wants the classic look with modern technology:
I wanted one for the Crossfire, but $1500 Euro is a bit steep.
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