Stories of the Radio... in the Car

Car radios first appeared in the early 1920s, initially in the United States, as bespoke and unique items crafted by enthusiasts based on contemporary radio valve technology. Initially, this development caused admiration in Europe. For instance, an article on August 13, 1922, in the "Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung" reported on "wireless technology as a hobby: the latest fashion in the United States." The article included illustrations of a radio installation featuring an antenna system spanning the windshield.

In the 1930s, in Chicago, brothers Joseph and Paul Galvin created a car radio they named Motorola. The valve radio operated on a single battery and required a nearby strong AM signal to receive the broadcast. It cost $130, a hefty sum for the time, making the system almost a snobbery among drivers.

However, the passion for mobile radio reception grew rapidly: the German specialist magazine "Funkschau" wrote on June 1, 1931: "Without a doubt: cars and radios are the perfect pair. The speed with which vehicles allow location changes complements the spatial freedom of the radio."

Bosch manufactured the first mass-produced car radio in Europe. It was called Autosuper 5 (AS5) and was presented at the Berlin Radio Show in 1932 by Ideal-Werke, a Bosch subsidiary (which introduced the Blaupunkt brand that same year). The device weighed 15 kilograms and cost an imposing 465 marks. Such a high price meant it was only accessible to buyers of very luxurious cars.

At that time, it was common to attach the compact control unit directly to the instrument panel, while the bulky receiver and amplifier were installed elsewhere, such as the trunk. In comparison, the AS5 was already relatively compact, allowing the technology to be installed under the instrument panel. Just a few years later, the radio would be seamlessly integrated into the vehicle and its operational concept. For example, a round dial was used for the radio station next to the instruments, within the driver's field of vision.

The technical experience from World War II allowed car radios to become much more compact and fully integrated into the instrument panel. For example, in the Mercedes-Benz 170 S (W 136), the brand's first luxury vehicle after the war, radios like the Becker AS 49, introduced in 1949, were available as optional equipment for this model series from February 28, 1950.

The Motorola operated exclusively on AM radio waves, which never offered perfect sound quality. It wasn't until 1952 that the German company Blaupunkt invented an FM stereo for cars, followed by an AM/FM radio in 1953. Frequency modulation (FM) encoded radio broadcasts offered better signal quality. Other innovations in the 1950s included radio station buttons and station search functions.

Car audio system manufacturers were unsure of what to do next. Chrysler introduced a car phonograph in 1956 and partnered with Columbia Records to produce 7-inch discs that could be played from a turntable sliding out from the dashboard. While innovative, it was impractical as the discs would skip while the vehicle was in motion.

The problem was solved in the early sixties by engineer Earl Muntz. The Stereo-Pak, as it was initially known, was a cartridge technology that allowed music to be stored on media that wouldn't skip while driving. Muntz quickly realized its applications for car audio. The cartridge system was the first real technology for choosing the music you wanted to listen to while driving and continued to be a staple in vehicles for many years.

Although cassettes were first introduced in 1964, it took at least a decade to replace the 8-track player in vehicles. In the 1970s, the Autofahrer-Rundfunk-Informationssystem (ARI; "driver's radio information system") was introduced, a system that automatically identified traffic reports broadcast as part of programming and slightly increased the volume.

By the late 70s, just being able to listen to music in the car was no longer enough. User demands were rising. High-quality speakers could be purchased in the aftermarket, but without a standard for all vehicles, installation was not easy. Faced with this situation, car manufacturers themselves realized that higher quality sound had to be offered, leading to the birth of multi-speaker systems with amplifiers.

Cassettes, although compact, presented sound quality and durability issues (they had a tendency to tangle...)

The solution came with the CD, which, two years after its introduction in 1982, saw a version developed for cars. Manufacturers quickly integrated it into their vehicles, and in the 90s, multi-CD systems could be purchased: a holder, usually located in the trunk, that was loaded so multiple CDs could be alternated without manual swapping.

In the 90s, these sound systems began to integrate with satellite navigation. An example is the introduction of the COMAND display and operation system, which marked a milestone in the interconnection of systems in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Its world premiere took place in 1998 in the S-Class of the 220 series. Today, the radio is part of the infotainment system of all cars.

But back to our story. By the year 2000, MP3 players in vehicles were surpassing physical media. With an integrated hard drive, hundreds or thousands of song files could be stored and chosen at will. As storage space on mobile phones increased, it became more common to simply connect the phone via USB or wirelessly connect to the car system via Bluetooth.

Today, instead of buying physical devices or even downloading MP3s, the ubiquity of wireless internet access allows most of us to listen to music from providers like Spotify.

In any case, nothing has changed regarding the fascination of having an individual soundtrack with top-quality sound accompanying your journey. Whether it's news programs or music, we all create our own sound environment within the clearly defined space that is the vehicle. Some value spoken content, while others prefer to listen to their favorite music. Entertainment is not just a background sound but stimulates all the senses. Although for some, the best sound is that of a beautiful twelve-cylinder engine...