ClassicCar

hudsontech

Ask most HudNuts when the first radios were installed and, if they are in the know, they'll say 1933 when Majestic supplied radios.

I just came across a Hudson-Essex Parts Bulletin that refutes that claim. This bulletin, D.S.4011, issued April 24, 1932, lists prices for Philco Transitone Radios for both Hudson and Essex. Not to clear a scan, but I've attached a copy of that bulletin.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

RL Chilton

I didn't even know they went back that far, I would've guessed '35-'36.

hudsontech

Amazin' what turns up in these old service bulletins!!! :woohoo:

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

Marconi

Yes it is, Alex, thanks. Steve

StillOutThere

Likely every US car manufacturer, including Hudson, had an aftermarket radio available and approved for dealer installation by the late 1920. However, it is my understanding that the first US car manufacturer to offer a radio in one of its models as STANDARD equipment was the '33 Essex-Terraplane 8 Deluxe. The antenna was factory-built into the soft filler section of the roof on closed cars. That "standard equipment" offering of radio was a milestone in the auto industry.

walts garage-53 · walts garage-53 January 2011 Posts: 1,470Platinum Member

Alex, the 36's and 37's had the antenna under the running boards. We had to replace a lot of them, from road conditions or driving off a curb. Walt.

Marconi

I believe that's correct about the first STANDARD equipment radio in 33 Terraplane deluxes, however the first optional radio in U.S. cars that I know about was in 30 Cadillacs, might have been 1929 but the dates on the literature that I have is in late 1929. This leads me to believe that it was for the 1930 model cars.

hudsontech

StillOutThere wrote:

Likely every US car manufacturer, including Hudson, had an aftermarket radio available and approved for dealer installation by the late 1920. However, it is my understanding that the first US car manufacturer to offer a radio in one of its models as STANDARD equipment was the '33 Essex-Terraplane 8 Deluxe. The antenna was factory-built into the soft filler section of the roof on closed cars. That "standard equipment" offering of radio was a milestone in the auto industry.

To clarify - I didn't say that the radio offered in 1932 was standard. I said it was offered, most likely as an accessory or option, as we'd call it today.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

Marconi

Right Alex, that's the way I understood it.

faustmb

Can someone post a picture of a 33 majestic radio?

hudsontech

There's a sort of picture in the 1933 radio manual in the online library - click on "Manuals" then on 1930-1939 Radio Manuals. There's a picture on page 12 (page 5 of the 1933 manual) showing how it was mounted under the dash.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

oldhudsons

Still out There is correct. The '33 Deluxe Ts, intro. in August of '33 began with serial #11865 in the T6 line and 73463 in the T8 lineup. As std. equip.: 1. above mentioned radio 2. dual taillights 3. a pr. of cigarette ash doors in dash 4. pr. of exterior mounted chrome horns.
The radios are easily identifiable as have "TERRAPLANE" cut into the metal and with an "8" below it. I'll see if I have a pic of one & will post it if I do.

oldhudsons

in re the radios: the one put in the T6 did not have the "8" cut into the metal face. The dial head is clamped onto the steering column with a very large & heavy speaker mounted under the dash.

SuperDave

I have a very interesting article about the first auto radios. came to me via email. I cannot figure out how to post it. I keep getting an error notice that it's not allowed. I can email it to someone that is computer savey..

faustmb

Here the one I was wondering about;

http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu206/faustmb/AE47FDDD-F2F3-4FA5-B858-FE050C035B3B-2311-000001564FEB09D2.jpg

http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu206/faustmb/5B23D2A5-B7D7-4B95-8B08-ABF0A3A99D9B-2311-000001563BCAB773.jpg

faustmb

Based on the manual Alex referenced, this looks like the correct model of radio without the Terraplane markings. The only thing I'm missing are the mounting brackets.

hudsontech

I think 1933 was the only year that put the tuner head on the steering column separate from the radio. If this is true than that almost has to be a 1933 radio.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

Park_W

It has always struck me as odd that apparently Hudson never made the radio standard in the high-end cars. You'd expect it would be standard on Commodores and Hornets.

oldhudsons

faustmb - that is what they look like exc. ones used in '33 Ts have "TERRAPLANE" or "TERRAPLANE 8" on the dial. I had one for my T8 conv. which was a Deluxe model that I got, by the way, from Jim Harmon & looked for a photo of the dial but guess I never took one of it.

oldhudsons

as a point of authenticity: some '33 T restorers have adopted the Deluxe items to their cars, esp. by putting a taillight onto the RR fender, which is a good safety idea, and or putting a pr. of front chrome horns on (horns are like others of that type in that era, tricky part is finding the right brackets as they were affixed to the headlamp brackets which for the Deluxe series are tapped with 2 screw holes to hold the horn bracket) BUT no one cuts into their dash to put in 2 cigarette trays! Finding one of the correct radios hard also. Chassis serial #s tell the true story too.

faustmb

My car is a true deluxe. My dad bought it from Chuck Rogers in 66. Coincidentally, chuck bought the car only for the T8 radio, which I was told he put into a convertible he had. Maybe someone here knows where that car (and the factory radio for my car ) is now?

5433HET

Here's a pic of my "unrestored" '33 Terraplane radio head.

35terraplane

Here is an unrestored Majestic aftermarket radio head with the bracket to attach it to the steering wheel. I'll restore it for my 35 Terraplane.
Ed

35terraplane

Here is the Hudson radio (unrestored) for 1935.
Ed

faustmb

Ed, could I get better detail on the steering column clamp? I'm missing that too.

Mystery solved on where the original radio for my car went, the creme colored 34 convertible that Bill Albright owned. I know I've seen it on here, but the search seems useless.

35terraplane

Here is the back. Hope the pix is clear enough.
Ed

oldhudsons

as an ancillary to this discussion I hope a photo of the dash of what was then my '33 T8 instrument cluster to show not just the "TERRAPLANE 8" cut into the instrument cluster but also the left ashtray which was std. (along with one on the far right side) of the Deluxe series

ESSX28-1 · ESSX28-1 October 2012 Posts: 995Platinum Member

Here's a pdf of advert from last year advertising a 1929 Hudson Labeled radio. I know nothing more about this particular item apart from the interesting fact that it's the earlest date I've seen claimed!!

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