Grundig factory U.K.

[Nanozeugma]

Hi,
Bit of an odd one this - didn't quite know where to place it...
I recently discovered to my complete surprise that Grundig once had a facility literally walking distance from where I live.
This is naturally of interest, however I cannot find any further information about this using the usual web search tools.
I wondered if anyone here could throw any further light on this?

Image giving the information source attached.
Kidbrooke Park Road, London SE3.

[Nickthedentist]

Yes, I've noticed that address on service manuals.

Whether that was actually a factory, or essentially just the UK distributors for foreign-made gear, I don't know.

[paulsherwin]

Like Nick, I'm pretty sure that Grundig didn't actually make anything in the UK. The London HQ was just a distribution centre for their retail and service network.

[ms660]

https://www.americanradiohistory.com...rch=%22grundig newlands%22

Lawrence.

[AC/HL]

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Grundig
They may have moved sometime between 1953 and 1955

[Philips210]

Hi.

I was also quite surprised to learn that Grundig had a radio factory in London.
That particular model 3028 Malborough was my very first valve radio restoration.

I'll never forget obtaining that set, back in Easter 1993 I took a load of old household junk to the recycling centre in the back of the Metro. There was a battered old sideboard that had just been dropped off. On top was a Grundig 3028. Back then you could buy goods from the centre. I paid £5 which I was very happy with.

I really enjoyed restoring that set, even the EM34 magic eye had usable emission. The repairs were fairly routine, mostly cap replacements and a few resistors. The ECH81 frequency changer had to be replaced due to a lazy oscillator (triode section). The set had excellent sound quality and I regret selling it some time back.

Regards,
Symon

[Nickthedentist]

Some reminiscences here: https://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6180

It seems to have been a large victorian house, on the corner of Studland Road, apparently, where there's a big 1960s factory(?) now.

[Nickthedentist]

Address in 1984, according to something in the Gazette was: " Grundig International Limited of Newlands Park, Sydenham, London SE26 5NQ."

And this book says it was 40-42 Newlands Park: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...5NQ%22&f=false

Google maps shows this as the big 1960s factory I mentioned in post 7. So maybe they moved to a big old house, redeveloped it as a modern factory, and stayed there for a few decades?

As for Paul and my comments at the start of the thread... Has anyone got anything Grundig which claims to have been made over here? Or maybe the premises were for servicing sets or possibly re-working German-made sets for local distribution, e.g. fitting different mains transformers, dial glasses, UHF tuners etc. All speculation on my part.

Maybe a post on the Sydenham forum could be worthwhile?

[emeritus]

I remember being told that, to avoid the high post-war import duty on tape recorders, Grundig tape recorders for the UK were fitted with an additional capacitor that killed the high frequency response. This allowed them to be imported as dictating machines on which a significantly lower duty was payable. Once in the UK the capacitors were removed prior to sale. I guess they would have needed somewhere to do the modification, although a corner of a warehouse would have heen sufficient.

[Reelman]

If you have a 70s Grundig tape recorder like a TK121, 141 etc have a look at its bottom and it will probably say “made in UK” or similar. They had a factory in Northern Ireland.
There was also the non-sales showroom in Orchard St, just off Oxford St, London. A schoolboys dream of a place to visit!

Peter

[Bobsound]

I think Grundig had a factory in the Republic of Ireland.
Bob

[Ted Kendall]

There was also a factory in Belfast.

[Nanozeugma]

Thanks for the input so far people As regards the Sydenham address, I remember it well having been on a servicing course for the Grundig 2x4 Super V2000 VCR and you could (and I did) get exchange touch tune boards for their 110 degree, thyristor line output colour TV receivers there.

[paulsherwin]

Thanks to everyone for the info, I stand corrected!

[longneck90]

Hello to all. About Grundig factory. It is sometimes amazing what one will see if they live long enough. I actually worked at the Grundig factory in Sydenham. Not as an electronic engineer, but as a digging machine driver, digging out foundations, as the factory was enlarged. It was definitely a production factory, but it may have been restricted to making televisions. Years later, I actually visited the factory to obtain Grundig Television manuals. All the best. John.

[MarcoBerti]

Originally Posted by Ted Kendall

There was also a factory in Belfast.

Yes, and the general manager, Thomas Niedermayer, was kidnapped and killed by IRA in 1973 !

[McMurdo]

there's an online video of the belfast grundig factory here

https://digitalfilmarchive.net/media...-dunmurry-2337

[DMcMahon]

Several of the old (late 50s /early 60s) Grundig Reel to Reel Tape Recorder Service manuals show the Newlands Park, Sydenham address, also 1960s Technical Information Bulletins.

Earlier Reel to Reel recorders (around middle 50s) give the Kidbrooke Park Road, S.E.3 address.

[stevehertz]

Whenever I used to go through Rugby on the train, there was a huge sign on a building near to the station marked 'Grundig'. I'm not sure what it's function was but I think it was to do with teles - either repairs or parts centre. I'm talking late 90s.

[dazzlevision]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

Whenever I used to go through Rugby on the train, there was a huge sign on a building near to the station marked 'Grundig'. I'm not sure what it's function was but I think it was to do with teles - either repairs or parts centre. I'm talking late 90s.

Grundig moved their UK headquarters from Sydenham to Rugby in the 1990s. This included spares and service, plus CCTV. I’ve been there once (through work) in connection with their solid state image sensor monochrome cameras. It was in Mill Lane, IIRC.