[Doug Houston]

Ron isn't old enough to remember this. Philco supplied Chrysler Corp. with their 8 tube radios. They happen to be one of my two favorite car radios (which has nothing to do with this topic).

When WWII began on December 7, '41, Philco and other manufacturers had built the model year's production of radios for Chrysler and other cars. It was a popular set, and the cars were selling well.....until auto production stopped in February, 1942. Radio production came to a screeching halt about the same time.

In order to have something to put in the stores, both Philco and Motorola had cabinets made, and installed the auto sets in them, with an AC power supply, replacing the vibrator power supply. A 3 foot wire, strung around the cabinet was all that was needed for an antenna. There was never any doubt about it: you were getting a converted auto radio for the living room, but since that was all you could get, as the old saw goes: Halitosis is better than no breath at all!

We kids thought it was sort of funny, but it got a good radio for a lot of families, who no longer had a choice. I have one of the Chrysler sets in a chairside cabinet that I'm anxious to get going. It should sound beautiful, and it really doesn't look bad at all.