Re: Various CL Pickings

Posted by DavidPackard On 2022/12/21 14:17:34

From the web: The name change from Galvin Manufacturing Corporation to Motorola Incorporated occurred in 1947. Seems this is an example of the product’s name was so well known that the company changed its name to absorb some of the glow.

All of this started with William Lear, of LearJet fame, and his friend Elmer Wavering solving the ignition system interference problem for early radio designs. Having a working prototype they installed it into Paul Galvin’s Studebaker. Paul drove the car from Chicago to Atlantic City and debuted the radio at the June 1930 Radio Manufacturer’s Show (not sure if Bill and Elmer went along). Unfortunately, he had not paid for a display booth, so he parked the car at the entrance to the Atlantic City pier and demonstrated to passers-by that the radio received a clear signal with the engine running. By the end of the show, Gavlin had enough orders to begin production. In Model A lore the story has been embellished to include that Paul couldn’t afford a booth in the show, but if the technical breakthrough was ‘static-free’ operation what would be better than a demonstration?

Ford first offered a ‘Motorola’ AM radio in ‘33, so having such equipment in a ’36 Packard is quite reasonable. A larger question would be; when did Packard first offer a radio in their cars, and was it Galvin equipment?