The automaker created the trade name “Highway Hi-Fi” and made the made the player optional on Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler, and Imperial models, all sharing the same under-dash unit pictured above. Chr圜o liked the setup and agreed to buy 20,000 units from the CBS manufacturing division, although the order was later dialed back to 18,000. Goldmark pitched his record player to several Chrysler engineers, then to executive Lynn Townsend, who would later become company president. A five-pin harness sent the player’s output into the car radio’s audio section, while a carefully engineered tone arm with high tracking force kept skipping and skating to a minimum.
#RECORD PLAYERS FOR SALE AT SEARS PLUS#
Dynamic range was limited to 3,000 Hz but on the plus side, the novel format offered 45 minutes of programming per side. (As legend has it, Goldmark despised the rock ‘n roll then taking over the radio airwaves and decided to offer civilized motorists an alternative.) After experimenting with various mediums including magnetic tape, he devised a special hybrid record format: a seven-inch vinyl disc like the RCA 45 rpm single, but playing at the 16 2/3 rpm used in Talking Book spoken-word records. Highway Hi-Fi was developed by CBS Laboratories chief Peter Goldmark, the inventor of the 33 1/3 rpm long-playing album format. That’s when Chrysler opened the door, we might say, with an in-car phonograph system called Highway Hi-Fi. But until 1956, American motorists were stuck with but one choice: AM radio. Today, in-car audio is an essential part of the automotive experience, offering nearly unlimited programming choices from satellite to MP3. Here’s one early effort: Chrysler’s Highway Hi-Fi record player of 1956.
![record players for sale at sears record players for sale at sears](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/52/d7/7b/52d77b8b7a36dda928657b47d3628dca.jpg)
Car audio has worked its way through a number of music formats through the years, including 8-Track, cassette, and Compact Disc.