History radio in avto
Now for us, music in the car is already commonplace. And at the beginning of the 20th century, it was something unimaginable, of course, radios existed at that time, but it has not yet been possible to introduce them into a car. But luckily for all of us, it later became commonplace in the world of cars, so today we can enjoy music wherever we are. But when did radios first appear in cars? Which manufacturer did it first, when did it happen and how much did it cost? Now we will talk about this.
First car radio
Chevrolet introduced the very first car radio in 1922, but it had nothing to do with the car radios we know today. It wasn't a small compact box that could fit nicely on your dashboard. Instead, it was a massive beast that took up a ton of space. It required a large antenna that covered almost the entire roof of the car. The speakers were also massive and had to be attached to the backs of the seats. The batteries required to power the entire installation were so large that they could barely fit under the seats of most cars. On top of that, the entire setup cost $200! In 1922, if you wanted music while driving, you would have to pay about $200, which is equivalent to about $3,153 today. But do not forget that this was almost a hundred years ago. The technology was new and expensive, and it took a long time for it to become more widely available. It's impossible to tell exactly which make and model of car was the first to have a car radio, as Chevrolet didn't build radios into their models at the time. They offered a separate device that could be installed on any Chevrolet car for a fee.
The evolution of radio in cars
Many inventors thought about how to make car radios more accessible to everyone when many people were excited about the new technology. First there were radios designed for Chevrolet, then custom-fit radios that were available in 1926, but they were very expensive.
However, in 1930, engineer Paul Galvin decided that the main way to make car radios accessible to everyone was to make them cheaper. Logically! He invented a car radio, which was only half the price of conventional ones, and installed it in his Studebaker car (these are trucks from the Studebaker Corporation in the USA). Thanks to this invention, radio in cars became more accessible and popular.
After waiting for the annual meeting of the Radio Manufacturers Association in Atlantic City, he drove 800 miles to showcase his achievements. His cheap car radio became a huge success, allowing him to found the well-known Motorola company, one of the largest manufacturers of the first car radios.
Of course, as with all new technologies, people opposed its implementation. But despite this, the company continued to develop and prosper.
The danger problem of the radio in the car
In 1930, laws in Massachusetts and St. Louis banned radios in automobiles, as they argued for the use of radios only by major manufacturing companies. Those who objected to car radios used the same arguments that we are all familiar with, such as text messages on the phone, when we drive a car we are distracted by them, and here it is exactly the same, but only with radios, which they considered to be dangerous distractions. factors that could lead to more frequent accidents.
However, the Auto Club of New York, full of car enthusiasts, even got the agreement of the majority of its members with this assessment. In 1934, a survey was conducted in which 54% of the participants expressed their opinion about the dangers of car radios. At the same time, the Radio Manufacturers Association argued that these receivers could be used to prevent accidents and combat driver fatigue. As a result, the radio did become an integral part of cars, and most of the laws aimed at banning the use of radios in cars were repealed.