Oldsmobile

[HarleyEarl]

The 1958 Oldsmobile had a very interesting option. A first for the industry. It was a portable radio built into dash. You could pull out and take with you.

[HarleyEarl]

Here is a version in dash:

Edited September 5, 2005 by HarleyEarl

[HarleyEarl]

It had an all chrome face...very classy:

[HarleyEarl]

Apparently a variety of portable radios were offered in '58 and '59 in some Pontiacs and Buicks as well.

[HarleyEarl]

Yes, the car record player, forgot about those. Will have to do some research, see who was the first.

[balthazar]

The Trans-Portable radios were '58 & 59 options on Olds, Buick & Pontiac for sure. I have never seen this option available for either Cadillac or Chevrolet, but perhaps it was. I am certain GM never offered a RPO record player, but all ChryCo divisions did: '56 (for sure) thru '60 (off the top of my head). Just saw a gorgeous '56 DeSoto with a 'Highway Hi-Fi' unit this weekend.

[HarleyEarl]

So it sounds like ChryCo was the first with the record player. Darn it.

[Flybrian]

An under-dash record player is great...until you drive over a brick road. Seriously, though, I've heard of the Trans-Portable radio before. Allegedly, it was a fine portable unit, but a mediocre in-dash reciever. It naturally lacked the then-breakthrough SEEK feature found on the Wonderbar radios at the time. Like airbags, Guidestar, and CRT touch-screen displays, its yet another lost Oldsmobile/GM innovation...

[balthazar]

Highway Hi-Fi actually worked(s) quite well on rougher roads; it's not merely a table-top record player in a chromey case.

[knightfan26917]

*raises eyebrow*

COOL! Heh...those portable radios look a bit more innovative than some things in cars today....


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[ToniCipriani]

From the front with the key it looks like a mobile hard drive rack seen on some computers.

[DBeaSSt]

HarleyEarl, you are just a fountain of cool stuff! Do you sit around at night looking this stuff up? j/k http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/AH-HA_wink.gif

That's really cool!

[HarleyEarl]

I'm so obsessed with cars, I really need to get a hobby lol. It's eating me alive.

[knightfan26917]

I'm so obsessed with cars, I really need to get a hobby lol.  It's eating me alive.

*shakes head*

Nah, I'd say you already have a hobby ... cars ;). Keep the cool stuff coming, please!

[DBeaSSt]

*shakes head*

Nah, I'd say you already have a hobby ... cars ;).  Keep the cool stuff coming, please!

[post="10583"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Absolutely!
More of an addiction than a hobby......but it's a good addiction!

[HarleyEarl]

Is it ever an addiction. I always thought I was weird until I discovered a whole bunch of car nuts on the net that were just as obsessed. Now I don't feel so alone.

[knightfan26917]

Now I don't feel so alone.

GOOD!

...and, uh, keep it that way ;).

[HarleyEarl]

lol...I promise. Of course not a hard promise to keep. :)

[knightfan26917]

lol...I promise.  Of course not a hard promise to keep.  :)

Heh...don't I know it ;).

[torobud]

As many Olds carshows as I have been to (which has to be a ton in my 24 years on this planet) I don't think I have ever seen one of those... Great find!