History Lesson Car Stereos Through The Ages

Car stereos make long commutes bearable and prevent people from killing each other during traffic jams. In the 1920s, car rides were long and quiet with just the engine and the road noise to keep drivers company. Fortunately, during the 1930s, the car stereo came along.

The first car stereo was the result of three men’s hard work. The three inventors were brothers Paul and Joseph Galvin along with William Lear. Together, they created a dashboard radio by the name of Motorola, which stood for motorized Victrola. The entrepreneurs installed their prototype into a Studebaker. Later, the Motorola Company sold millions of car radios.

During the 1950s, advertisements appeared on billboards, which displayed happy couples driving down the highway listening to the AM radio. Additionally, rock and roll was just starting to become popular.

Eightrack Tapes
Finally, in the 1960s, drivers gained control over song selection with the creation of eight-track tapes. Unfortunately, eight-tracks suffered from poor construction, which gave riders terrible sound quality. However, they were still popular due to the song selection opportunity they provided.

Cassettes
Philips introduced compact cassettes by 1964 and during the 1970s, the company offered car drivers a much better way to listen to music in their vehicles. However, many drivers held onto their eight-tracks until the 1980s.

In the early 1970s, custom stereos became available, which gave drivers the opportunity to alter the sound system in their car to suit their personal preferences. Also, companies such as Alpine, Kenwood and Pioneer began selling high-quality equipment. Unfortunately, expensive stereo equipment became the cause of numerous audio thefts, so the stereo companies began manufacturing receivers with removable faceplates.

CD’s
CDs appeared on the scene in the 1980s, probably still see one on a used Volvo by the middle of the 1990s, they were a common vehicle feature. The quality sound that CDs provided was superior to prior listening systems. Drivers could select the songs they wanted to hear while on the road. In fact, the only problem was the inability to customize a playlist, which wasn’t available until the digital age with MP3 players. Once the iPod became available, drivers had complete control over what they listened to while driving.

The future…now
Now, with the O series, drivers can control more than their music as the O series can assimilate the iPhone into the vehicle’s stereo system. Furthermore, drivers can safely use all of the iPhone’s technology while in their cars such as an iTunes music compilation, Bluetooth access and the iPhone’s hands-free capabilities. Today, drivers have access to so much more than just music.