Floor operated station changers go back into the 30's (my 1939 Packard
Limousine had this feature), but those were not true search tune radios -
they merely cycled through 6 preset stations, one each tap on the floor
button.
The true search tune feature extends at least back to 1951 in luxury cars,
although of course in those days they were AM only. FM in a car came along
later than FM in home radios, except for some very special radios made
available at extra cost, because the circuitry was very delicate and
sensitive to environmental effects (temperature, humidity, voltage
variations, vibration etc. AM technology is simple and robust, by
comparison.
A General Motors subsidiary (Delco) had the patents sewed up on the search
tune feature in the early days, in fact we (I worked at Philco at the time)
lost our contract with Packard for radios because the lawyers told us we
could not legally sell them the search tune radio we had developed. Packard
switched to Delco as a radio supplier for the 1951 Search tune radio, and
for all subsequent business, after buying exclusively from Philco since the
very earliest factory supplied radios. (This was heavy blow for Philco,
and led to the company being acquired by Ford a few years later.)
Later, in the 60s, Bendix acquired the right to build search tune radios, so
some cars have Bendix built radios and some have Delco, if they are search
tune. I don't know when the patents expired on this technology (I left the
business in the late 50's).
Mopar didn't offer FM until sometime around 1957, as I recall, and it was a
very rare option even then.
The first search tune with FM was released in GM cars, of course, and only
let out to the competition after they had made the advertising splash with
it.
The first FM Stereo was similarly tied up in patents, although I'm not as
conversant with the facts in that matter. I am aware of Stereo in Cadillac
and probably other GM cars in the early 60's - I think 64 for Cadillac (It
worked, but barely, with the damn relay clicking all the time!). The delay
for other luxury brands was the same deal - GM gets first crack at it
because they put up the money to develop it. That's the American way,
folks!
Imperial never officially listed it in the brochures (that I have seen) for
1967, but it was available in late 67. Ford was on the same schedule - I
at one time had a 1967 Mustang Stereo radio - I believe that was a first for
Ford.
The Stereo Multiplex receiver in the early days was quite a kludge - for
more details consult the IML web site and read the writeup on the system in
the 1968 pages. The bottom line is: it needed 5 seperate electronic boxes,
scattered around the car including behind the rear seat, all connected with
massive cables. The sound is superb, but the reception is typical early
stereo - unless you live within about 25 miles of the transmitter, you spend
all your time fiddling with the dial trying to keep it clearly tuned in. At
least they had eliminated the clicking relay of the first units by 1967
All you young whippersnappers (I can say that because I start into my 70th
year next week!) have no idea what things were like for Jim Martin and I in
the early days, trying to court our girls in the car with one hand on the
damn tuning knob and the other on the steering wheel. The only solution was
to park the car so you didn't need to fiddle with the controls, as I recall
explaining at the time.
The modern radios, with their digital quartz lock oscillators and phase
locked tuning are a revelation to those of us who struggled with this
technolgy 50 years ago. They sure don't build them like they used to!
Dick Benjamin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Greg and Russell" <65luxuryliner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2003 5:10 AM
Subject: Re: IML: '66 headlights and radio
> My '65 Crown convertible is pretty well optioned and it has the AM/FM
search
> tune radio with the remote button on the floor. Was this a rarely
installed
> opton in '65? How far back was this radio available? I wish my car had
the
> reverberating rear speaker! Is this something that can be added or did
that
> option have to be installed at the factory? Why did Imperial not receive
> AM/FM stereo until late '67? My '66 Eldorado has AM/FM stereo but no
search
> tune button either on the radio dial or on the floor. I would have
thought
> The Big Three luxury cars of that era would have been neck and neck
> regarding technological advances such as "stereophonic sound" from a car
> radio.
>
> Greg McDonnell
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <dan.donna.m@xxxxxxx>
> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 11:22 PM
> Subject: Re: IML: '66 headlights and radio
>
>
> > You're right Dick, I stand corrected...my old '66 AM/FM wasn't
> STEREO....but
> > it did have the search-tune and the floor mounted button that would
change
> the
> > station to the next on on the dial...at least I think thats the way it
> worked
> > instead of just going over to the next pre-set channel...well, at least
> thats
> > the way I remember it used to work. (That was back in the late 1970's)
> > Dan Melnik (it also had the factory 'reverb' mounted in the trunk as I
> remember)
> > > AM-FM, perhaps, but not "Stereo" - that didn't come out in Imperials
> until
> > > late 67, and was listed as an available option starting in 1968. The
> AM-FM
> > > Stereo radios were not search tune, even in 68, but the much more
common
> > > AM-FM radios were, in both 67 and 68. I don't know if the AM-FM in
the
> 66
> > > were search tune, but I don't see why they wouldn't have been.
> > >
> > > Dick Benjamin
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: <dan.donna.m@xxxxxxx>
> > > To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 4:50 PM
> > > Subject: Re: IML: '66 headlights and radio
> > >
> > >
> > > > Hi Tom!..I can answer one part of your question...that is regarding
> the
> > > > availability of the 'search tune' option. As my old daily driver
1966
> 4-dr
> > > > (now my parts car) had the AM/FM Stereo w/ floor button and on-the-
> > > > radio 'search' bar it most definitely was availabe with AM/FM as
well
> as
> > > > AM..Either that or I have one really special parts car here! The
other
> > > folks
> > > > in the IML that know lots more than I do will have to answer the
rest
> of
> > > your
> > > > question....if I can help do not hesitate to email me, either via
the
> IML
> > > or
> > > > directly at "dan.donna.m@xxxxxxx". Happy motoring!!
> > > > Dan Melnik
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi all-
> > > > > I'm confused about options for the lighting for a '66 Crown. The
> > > owner's
> > > > > manual says that the "automatic headlight beam changer" is
optional;
> > > fine,
> > > > > but mentions nothing anout the automatic "safeguard sentinel"
> option.
> > > The
> > > > > '66 service manual does not list anything on the beam changer, but
> DOES
> > > list
> > > > > the "safeguard sentinel lighting system" (page 1-24), and even has
a
> > > > > picture, this is the automatic-on feature. What's the story? I
> always
> > > > > thought the '66 was available with the beam changer option only,
not
> the
> > > > > safeguard sentinel??
> > > > > Also, the owner's manual states that the search tune is available
as
> an
> > > > > option for AM/FM radios (page 22), but the service manual states
> (page
> > > 1-13)
> > > > > that only the AM model is available with search tune. Again, will
> the
> > > > > correct info please stand up??
> > > > > Thanks
> > > > > Tom
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
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