A Visual Evolution Of The Car Stereo

Listening to music in the car is a favorite pastime for all kinds of people; it makes long road trips bearable and is an excellent way to relax while stuck in traffic on the drive home from work. Enjoying music in the car has not always been as easy as it is today, turning a knob on the satellite radio and choosing from hundreds of genres was not always an option. The earliest car radios remain a bit of a mystery for most of today's generation, here is how it all got started:

Early Car Radios Of The 1930s

The first commercially available car radio was produced in the 1930’s by brothers Paul and Joseph of the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation. The Motorola 5T71 ran on expensive battery-powered vacuum tubes, costing approximately one hundred and thirty dollars. The idea of driving while listening to music was considered a distraction, similar to texting and driving in today's times; however, millions of radios sold and the company ultimately changed their name to Motorola, Inc.