Unidentified cassette player - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Acalder1 · 19th Feb 2016, 5:50 pm

Hello my name is Andrew, I am new to this group and hope someone out there can help me. I am trying to identify the cassette player in the photos. I know these are not the best pictures. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tractorfan · 19th Feb 2016, 6:51 pm

Hi,
There's a thread here just a few down from yours featuring a Philips in-car cassette player. It looks very much like the one in your attached photos.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=123908

Hope this helps.
Cheers, Pete.

Acalder1 · 19th Feb 2016, 8:02 pm

Hello Pete thanks for your reply. The cassette player in the photos I posted was in a 1967 prototype car and was apparently one of the first such applications, the Philips N2607 car stereo cassette in the posting you suggested was some five years later.

Regards, Andrew.

chriswood1900 · 19th Feb 2016, 11:54 pm

This, may help track it down. Smiths industries owned the car radio brand Radiomobile there was a short fad of adding recording to car cassette players such as the Philips set up for the Lotus Elite from 1975. The radio in the 1st picture has a Radiomobile look to it.
Chris

brenellic2000 · 22nd Feb 2016, 12:09 pm

When I researched and wrote my history of Smiths ('The Golden Years') 3 or 4 years ago I knew of this Bertone-Jaguar concept car and I knew I had an original copy of the 'Telegraph Magazine' (Weekend Telegraph) in which it featured ... somewhere. Smiths was very heavily involved in its advanced technology. Could I find it? Nope!

But I have now found the cuttings!... alas they tell us little other than that this was a portable car cassette unit connected to the 'Radiomobile' radio to allow recording of programmes on the move... and to allow dictation; also at home. Smiths' Radiomobile Division designed and build their own radios but cassettes were essentially sourced.

This car was designed with the Daily Telegraph for exhibit at the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show so the timing suggests it was more than likely an Italian 'Voxson' unit (Smiths later used Lenco and Belgian designed but built-by-Garrard in Scotland cassette radio-cassette units).

This cassette unit features pull-out/push-in drawer loading system. Alas the colour photos (used above) from the magazine are far too low-resolution to make out any useful information about the cassette or radio and none of the people whom I talked to could recall much. For Smiths however the Telegraph's Bertone Jaguar E-Type based car was truly exciting allowing their Research Unit to go mad; this was the first time a working tape-recorder (as opposed to player) was fitted.

Barry

Acalder1 · 22nd Feb 2016, 8:08 pm

Hello Barry thanks for your suggestions, We are in fact restoring the E Type based Pirana hence the reason for trying to identify the cassette recorder/player as the original one from the car is missing. Yours and everyone elses help is invaluable
Thank You

brenellic2000 · 23rd Feb 2016, 11:54 am

Thanks Acalder1 - an interesting project you have your hands. Just as some of Smiths' products were 'working prototypes', it is possible that this cassette unit may have a been pre-production rather than a production model.

Just before this time, Smiths had a relationship with Motorola through a take-over of a car-radio maker who held a Motorola license, but Motorola suddenly ended the association and established their own UK base offering a wide range of car cassette and 8-track (plus radios) so there may be a very slight chance it was a Motorola... my money however is on Voxson.

Good luck!

19th Feb 2016, 5:50 pm	#1
Acalder1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Redondo Beach, California, USA. Posts: 3	Unidentified cassette player Hello my name is Andrew, I am new to this group and hope someone out there can help me. I am trying to identify the cassette player in the photos. I know these are not the best pictures. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Attached Thumbnails

19th Feb 2016, 6:51 pm	#2
Tractorfan Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.) Posts: 3,183	Re: Unidentified cassette player Hi, There's a thread here just a few down from yours featuring a Philips in-car cassette player. It looks very much like the one in your attached photos. https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=123908 Hope this helps. Cheers, Pete. __________________ "Hello?, Yes, I'm on the train, I might lose the signal soon as we're just going into a tunn..."

19th Feb 2016, 8:02 pm	#3
Acalder1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Redondo Beach, California, USA. Posts: 3	Re: Unidentified cassette player Hello Pete thanks for your reply. The cassette player in the photos I posted was in a 1967 prototype car and was apparently one of the first such applications, the Philips N2607 car stereo cassette in the posting you suggested was some five years later. Regards, Andrew.

19th Feb 2016, 11:54 pm	#4
chriswood1900 Octode Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dorridge, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 1,481	Re: Unidentified cassette player This, may help track it down. Smiths industries owned the car radio brand Radiomobile there was a short fad of adding recording to car cassette players such as the Philips set up for the Lotus Elite from 1975. The radio in the 1st picture has a Radiomobile look to it. Chris

22nd Feb 2016, 12:09 pm	#5
brenellic2000 Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,647	Re: Unidentified cassette player When I researched and wrote my history of Smiths ('The Golden Years') 3 or 4 years ago I knew of this Bertone-Jaguar concept car and I knew I had an original copy of the 'Telegraph Magazine' (Weekend Telegraph) in which it featured ... somewhere. Smiths was very heavily involved in its advanced technology. Could I find it? Nope! But I have now found the cuttings!... alas they tell us little other than that this was a portable car cassette unit connected to the 'Radiomobile' radio to allow recording of programmes on the move... and to allow dictation; also at home. Smiths' Radiomobile Division designed and build their own radios but cassettes were essentially sourced. This car was designed with the Daily Telegraph for exhibit at the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show so the timing suggests it was more than likely an Italian 'Voxson' unit (Smiths later used Lenco and Belgian designed but built-by-Garrard in Scotland cassette radio-cassette units). This cassette unit features pull-out/push-in drawer loading system. Alas the colour photos (used above) from the magazine are far too low-resolution to make out any useful information about the cassette or radio and none of the people whom I talked to could recall much. For Smiths however the Telegraph's Bertone Jaguar E-Type based car was truly exciting allowing their Research Unit to go mad; this was the first time a working tape-recorder (as opposed to player) was fitted. Barry

22nd Feb 2016, 8:08 pm	#6
Acalder1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Redondo Beach, California, USA. Posts: 3	Re: Unidentified cassette player Hello Barry thanks for your suggestions, We are in fact restoring the E Type based Pirana hence the reason for trying to identify the cassette recorder/player as the original one from the car is missing. Yours and everyone elses help is invaluable Thank You

23rd Feb 2016, 11:54 am	#7
brenellic2000 Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,647	Re: Unidentified cassette player Thanks Acalder1 - an interesting project you have your hands. Just as some of Smiths' products were 'working prototypes', it is possible that this cassette unit may have a been pre-production rather than a production model. Just before this time, Smiths had a relationship with Motorola through a take-over of a car-radio maker who held a Motorola license, but Motorola suddenly ended the association and established their own UK base offering a wide range of car cassette and 8-track (plus radios) so there may be a very slight chance it was a Motorola... my money however is on Voxson. Good luck!