Show me your "correct" radio in dash.

[rickrick]

Can anyone identify this radio? It came in a 75 silver anniversary car with very low miles but not sure what it is.

- rick

[911MRP]

Can anyone identify this radio? It came in a 75 silver anniversary car with very low miles but not sure what it is.

- rick

Hi Rick

Had the Blaupunkt German brochure for 1975 to hand and didn't see this unit with its distinctive blue mark in the book's 40 pages - so presumably not that brand. Sorry can't actually identify unit or brand but hopefully this elimination helps narrows your question down a bit.

[993anorak]

If this may help, my supplier based in London, he has an amazing collection for sale : http://www.chromelondon.com/

[911MRP]

A 1973 test review of the Blaupunkt Bamberg radiocassette player/recorder that was mentioned earlier conducted by a British car magazine. This radiocassette package cost £206 when a 911 sportomatic gearbox option cost only £145 list price ...serious money for ICE being approximately 10% of the entry level 914 list price of £2090, at that time. More amusingly the list price of a new Morris Marina that they used to test the kit was under £800!

Apologies for poor photo



The cover British market 1973 Blaupunkt catalogue shows the less expensive radiocassette player variant minus FM known as Tempelhof here in UK but by other names in Germany

[Gearby]

I'm not so sure that is a factory install on that stereo. I have a '72T that I thought had an aftermarket motorola radio installed. I've since found out that it was a popular dealer install here in the U.S. I know it's not a blaupunkt, however, the plastic basket weave surround plate is original I'm told. I always thought it was aftermarket due to the basket weave not matching the rest of the leatherette dash facing. In the Feb. of '72 Car and Driver, they're testing the new '72 911's and a picture of the dash face has the same basket weave surround. I suppose the dealer may have gone with a basket weave faceplate if installing a stereo but at the factory in Germany they used leatherette? The leatherette definitely looks better and more correct. That silver 911 does have several minor mods and changes performed to it that unless one is very familiar with '72's would be hard to pick out. In your posts #56, and #104 you show pics of the same basket weave surround that is in my car. Was this only a dealer plate installed or was it also the same surround used at the factory?

Excellent, 911MRP --- really excellent . . .

1st time that I've ever seen any of this Blaupunkt stuff actually/properly documented. AFaIK, this is the 1st pretty-sure vintage stereo install that I've seen --- on this/any board . . .


. . . and on a car that sold maybe 2 years ago, too



Wonder if that owner has any idea? . . .

[911MRP]

Don't know about the mixed weave and plain approach but can imagine dealer having basket weave plate to hand and fitting it. I would have rejected mismatch as original purchaser of a new car personally but who knows?

There are several versions of the large format period brochure (the well known 911E Engine cover Ivory on the front) from around 72/3. One version has a car with no radio and brown dash trim but more interestingly in this context the other (VW-Porsche version) has a different photo / different car giving a peek at the radio in a black plain vinyl dash - see below. A factory marketing shot of how they were done back then - albeit heavily obscured and at an angle.



The same photo also appears in a (rare?) version of the simpler one pager /multifold English language brochure from that same period - this one came in my car's original files being the only English language copy I have seen notable by the continental spelling of "Litre" the way we do in England (not american spelling of Liter). Charlie White's interesting site lists a number of examples of this folded brochure but not this particular variation! .

If it helps I have seen plenty of MY 1972 with the plain vinyl plate at my friend's independent Porsche workshop where I sometimes help out for fun... rather than basket weave ..fitted the section behind radio. Also my 1972/ parts book ( the old school paper book not computer PET) says "state colour" with variation LHD and RHD indicated apparently?



Hard to know for sure what was done by factory let alone dealers and aftermarket radio fitters forty odd years ago, except maybe the few guys who have had these cars from brand new.

Incidentally I do have a "no hole "blanking plate that MAY be original from period item that I sometimes fit when I want to lose the weight of stereo by removing it temporarily. That is plain vinyl like my MY 73 dash (late 72 production) car, it is not basket weave.

Being practical one of my friends got a piece of original vinyl that had been removed from a car from a specialist trimmer who goes to our regular monthly DDK meet here in UK and had it applied to one of the modern three hole radio plate that are readily available online.

[911MRP]

For those who prefer the classic pinstripe lines and sounds of the Becker Autoradio brand in their dash, this is a cover shot of the company's 1972 brochure (in German) showing a few examples. The loose papers are from the associated April 1972 price book (in DM) referenced in earlier posts plus the 1.8.72 dated installation-instructions for the the Mexico radio-cassette model (& several of the radios).



I am a totally rubbish photographer but the blurring on the brochure cover is the original artsy image, honest!

The Becker Mexico radio-cassette model underwent changes in that period - in fact this catalogue shows several inconsistent images variants of the Mexico radio-cassette, which is initially confusing - but according to the respected Carrera RS book (first edition) the particular Becker option for the MY 1973 911 (including obviously the Carrera RS) was the Mexico Olympia 169 Stereo model. Dr K's book is quite specific on stating the Olympia 169 version for the Porsche option 468. Presumably other variants of unit were fitted in early 70s particularly as the evolution to Mexico Cassette model took effect and all the different ways car stereo accessories could be sourced and fitted beyond the particular factory option.

Regarding knobs. Becker is strongly associated with Mercedes Benz of that period too and very often seen, as is case here, fitted with the Mercedes-style silver ring knobs, Presumably many having originally started life in (or intended for MB cars), but similar to the correct Porsche dash style Blaupunkt knobs, the less commonly seen plain black Becker knobs are more in keeping with the design of the Porsche dash / switchgear. Long Rangers post #121 has example knobs without the silver ring that may be original ( not sure about bezel in bezel thing!). This Mexico model number and the MB Porsche knob distinction may seem picky but this forum has been known to look at details like the rivet count and bulbs in Hella lamp accessories, and toolkit spanner font etc , etc

If I find time to dig it out of storage, I will post a photo of my Mexico (Olympia 169 model) example with plain black knobs alongside the equivalent Blaupunkt Bamburg radio-cassette player/ recorder option that only became available on the Porsche in the first weeks of Feb 73, as mentioned in previous post.

[911MRP]

Pile of Blaupunkt and Becker classic audioradio product and literature, price lists and so forth that I have accumulated over the years.

Many are NOS centred primarily around 1972-3 but some spans back to 1960.

Some quite neat things such as NOS speakers with fader and the Becker Mexico Olympia 169 (that is correct option model for 72 RS - rather than the more commonly seen versions) various Bambergs including a 72 set that is a direct competitor to Mexico (with recording function).

Having a little sort out and took a snap of some of this stuff in a pile to post here for folks interested in such things ...this is just the tip of the iceberg. Nothing is for sale - just for reference.

[NeunElf]

Here's my Frankfurt V series in my '65...

Attachment 332626

Here's mine:



Note that we have different knobs.

I have to confess that this is not my car's original radio (it is a "V code" radio)--I got it from Wilfred Wilkes maybe 19 years ago.

[NeunElf]

And, here's a "semi-correct" installation from a Blaupunkt brochure:



I say "semi-correct" because it shows a USA-version Blaupunkt New Yorker in what appears to be a European 1967 911.

And here's a scan of an undated Porsche of America brochure showing a radio in an early 1965 dashboard:



This shows a radio with 356-style "tulip shaped" knobs. It also has a "four-button" dash and an unusual [prototype?] knob for the trip odometer reset.