AM automobile radios in 1930.

[roccaas]

The heater does look unique, but I don't recall ever seeing an "original" radio in an A. Is there such a thing?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-...ht_1924wt_1158

[1931 flamingo]

Don't believe so,probably the radio was added in the mid to late 30's. JMO
Paul in CT

[IrishHills]

History and development of early Car Radios

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...DIL78AabprGiCw

[Jason in TX]

I like seeing the gasoline heater hooked up on that one. Interesting way of splicing off the fuel line and the vacuum connection as well.

[Bob C]

I like this part of the add.
and to restore it to make it a little more of a elegant status would cost about $2,500 That includs paint touch ups, engine, transmissions, interior, ect

[Kurt in NJ]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I have a Grigsby Grunow 110, it was introduced in june of 1931, the control head has a steering column clamp that is the exact diameter of the A steering column, from there a cable goes to a box that is placed in a hole in the floor, with another box next to it for the "B" battery.

The model 111 is for 32 ford

[V4F]

both the radio & heater are not factory , but look good ! ill take the radio ! .. steve

[Kevin in NJ]

There were at least two car radios on the market during late model A production.

The precursor to Bendix and the Grigsby Grunow 110.

At one point Ford may have considered the radio for the A, but it did not happen. This is based on a comment I had read from a high level executive. I have not found that comment since.

The Model 110 was a battery based device. There were two boxes that would be put in holes in the floor. One contained the radio and the other the batteries. For the 32 radio they used a motor generator to make up the high voltage. The 32 radio also had two boxes that needed to be put in holes in the floor.

There may have been a third radio available, but I can not remember.

So the answer is...
There are at least 2 radios that would qualify as correct period non-Ford accessories.

[Glenn C.]

I have the steering column control head and clamp, but no radiox box as yet....hmmm

[roccaas]

Where does the antenna mount?

Are these the radios my Grandfather talked about, where you had to have an engineer/DJ in the passenger seat because the tuning knob was in constant motion to keep the channel in tune?

[Grapejuice]

This explains a few questions, such as where the antenna is.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/scott_tran_automobile.html

The auction says FM/AM though and I don't think that's necessarily accurate either.

[tamagrouchy]

Motorola had a radio out pretty early. I have one like in the picture.
LINK HERE

Harry K

[Mike V. Florida]

I'm looking at it with 9 hours to ge and it's only at 6100.00. It looks to me like someone is going to get a deal.

[gweilbaker]

My coupe came with a Philco #7. It has a tuning head that mounts on the column with a volume control and key lock power switch. The styling looks like a table top radio, a Gothic peaked arch with a deco-ish insert dial and knobs. Commands are via two cables similar to speedometer cables, to the tube box mounted in the foot area of the rumble. Another box carried two batteries, one for the tube heaters and the other general power. Mine's updated with a vibrator supply. The speaker box was in the passenger compartment and the antenna is a huge coil of wire mounted on thick tag-board mount overhead covered by the head liner, it's a "Wave-magnet" by Zenith.

GW

[Jerry Parr WI]

The first radio offered by Ford was in 1932. It filled the three floor board spaces not taken by the battery.

[Special Coupe Frank]

Originally Posted by Jerry Parr WI

The first radio offered by Ford was in 1932. It filled the three floor board spaces not taken by the battery.

I think I remember an article on this radio from "Petersen's Ford Book", circa 1974-75 ?

Believe this radio was made by Philco, and employed a motor-generator for the highvoltage "B" power, and the antenna(s?) were mounted under the running board.

I definitely remember the motor-generator set.

[Special Coupe Frank]

Also, the radio from the e-bay car is probably late-1930's - early '40s, judging from the "slide-rule" tuning scale on the control-head.

1930 vintage radios used either a round "clock" type dial, or a rotating drum (like the Ford speedo).

(Hmmm... the wife has been grumbling about getting a new car... and this one has a radio AND a heater !!! )

[LukeDahlinger]

When I get home this evening I will find the pictures of a 1931 Detrola that I installed in a customer's car several years back.

[CarlG]

While I never saw one, my Dad told me that a lot of the cars of this era that had radios, had the antennas imbeded in the fabric tops.

Then there's my son, who installs "car toys" for a living. The first thing he did when I got my 31 PU was to do an assesment on how he could put a modern stereo system in my vehicle and not disturb it's originality!

[Grapejuice]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

I'm looking at it with 9 hours to ge and it's only at 6100.00. It looks to me like someone is going to get a deal.

It sold for US $6,788.21