On September 25, 1928, Paul Galvin and his brother Joseph founded Galvin Manufacturing Corporation. The company released the first practical mass-produced car radio a few years later in 1930, and Paul created the brand name “Motorola” by mashing together “motor” for car and “rola” for sound, playing off “Victrola.”
In the 1930s, a Motorola radio at $130 ($1,500 in today’s money) would add 20% to the cost of a new Ford Model T. At these prices, the future of the car radio seemed bleak. Yet more innovations were to come.
A key innovation would come from Edwin Armstrong, who invented the essence of the superheterodyne radio, i.e., FM radio. FM would dramatically improve listening quality and set the stage for more adoption of car radios. Tragically, Edwin profited little from his inventions and died a premature death.
Image by tookapic from Pixabay
In 1952, a German company Blaupunkt introduced the first in-car FM radio. It took more than 20 years, but in 1978, FM radio overtook AM as the dominant format in the United States.
This brief history is a quick overview of the intriguing history of car radio. The links above are for more engaging reading. Please stroll through the history and enjoy it as I have.