Close Menu
Zero2Turbo
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram RSS
    Zero2Turbo
    • Home
    • Contact
    • Videos
      Featured

      VW Golf GTI EDITION 50 Becomes Fastest VW To Lap The Nürburgring

      By Zero2TurboJune 13, 2025
      Recent

      VW Golf GTI EDITION 50 Becomes Fastest VW To Lap The Nürburgring

      June 13, 2025

      Xiaomi SU7 Ultra Becomes Fastest Production EV At The Nürburgring

      June 11, 2025

      Praga Bohema Nearly Beats Aston Valkyrie At Top Gear Track

      May 30, 2025
    • South Africa
    • Zero2Turbo Telegram
    Zero2Turbo
    Home»Zero2Turbo»Highway HiFi
    Zero2Turbo

    Highway HiFi

    By Zero2TurboDecember 7, 2018Updated:December 21, 2018No Comments
    Facebook Email Twitter LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp
    Share
    Facebook Email Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram

    Back in the 1950s, the only way to listen to something in your car was by turning on your AM radio and tuning it into a local station. Needless to say, the music selection you listened to was a bit restricted. Well, they say that “necessity is the mother of invention” so Columbia Broadcast System (CBS) put their engineering staff to work. Soon, a solution was developed; it was a specially-designed record player (Remember CBS was behind this) built just for automobiles.

    Chrysler Was First

    We discovered from our technical source at Barkau Automotive (Stockton, IL) that the the first automobile company to take advantage of the system was Chrysler Corporation. They offered their “Highway Hi-Fi” system on their 1956 models. The system was contained in a small metal box that mounted on the bottom edge of the dashboard directly above the transmission hump. The way it worked was simple: by pressing the button on the front cover of the player, the door would flip open and the turntable would slide out. You would load a record, flip the “Play” button and the record would begin to play.

    Extended Playing Time

    In order to make the playing time tolerable, a new 16 2/3 rpm speed was used with the records. This allowed up to 60 minutes of audio per record side. In case you are wondering how the tonearm was put down on the record, it was easy because it was done automatically.

    If you were to order one of the Highway Hi-Fis on your new Chrysler, Desoto, Dodge or Plymouth, you received with it the first 6 records in the series in a box set, along with a registration card and order form for more records. Only 36 were available when the option first came out with an additional 6 added in early 1956 for a total of 42 available to the general public.

    Startled Customers

    The only other records that were made specifically for this player were not intended for distribution to the general public; they were dealer demonstration records. This is what dealers would do. When a salesman would bring a prospective buyer out for a test drive, a record would be put in the player and the customer would be told about all the new bells and whistles by a strange voice coming from the radio speaker!

    The Highway Hi-Fi option was discontinued at the beginning of the 1957 model year.  Apparently the system could still be ordered by dealers but it was no longer a factory-approved option.  So, why did the option die so soon? If you read between the lines on the service bulletins related to the player you can see that they had service problems. By the time the bugs had been worked out, the industry was moving onto 8 track tapes!

    Share. Facebook Email Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram
    Previous ArticleVolkswagen I.D. R Could Grab Nurburgring Lap Record From The Porsche 919 Evo
    Next Article Avoiding Distracted Driving

    Related Posts

    Will Chevrolet Become New American King Of The ‘Ring?

    June 13, 2025

    VW Golf GTI EDITION 50 Becomes Fastest VW To Lap The Nürburgring

    June 13, 2025

    ‘The Kyza’ Reveals His Wild Take On The BMW M2

    June 13, 2025

    New BMW M350 May Push As Much As 420 HP (313 kW)

    June 12, 2025

    BMW Drops Entry Level XM For 2026

    June 12, 2025

    Xiaomi SU7 Ultra Becomes Fastest Production EV At The Nürburgring

    June 11, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube RSS
    Designed by Zero2Turbo.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.