Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website The car radio: Mercedes-Benz Museum Inside No. 32/2021
june 21, 2021 - Mercedes-Benz

The car radio: Mercedes-Benz Museum Inside No. 32/2021

  • From #Radio in the instrument panel to multimedia content in MBUX
  • Music and traffic notifications as the soundtrack for car journeys
  • “33 Extras”: Exhibits of motoring culture at the #MercedesBenz Museum

Stuttgart. 160 vehicles and a total of 1,500 exhibits are presented in the varied permanent exhibition of the #MercedesBenz Museum. The “33 Extras” are a particular highlight: they can bring the history of personal mobility and motoring culture to life using details that are often surprising. The #MercedesBenz Museum Inside newsletter series draws attention to the “33 Extras” and focuses on their background stories. Todayʼs issue is about the car #Radio.

32/33: The car Radio

Sound of mobility: Motor vehicles have been enabling individual mobility for 135 years and the car #Radio has been providing the accompanying sound for around 100 years. For many decades, all you did was switch it on, select the frequency and listen to your favourite #Radio station through the loudspeaker. The #Radio provides information and entertainment on the way to work or throughout the journey to the holiday destination. Contemporary media technology for networked vehicles even offers options that go far beyond entertainment, news and traffic notifications.

Mobile #Radio: The first car Radios appeared in the early 1920s – initially in the US – as customised, unique items made by technology aficionados on the basis of contemporary #Radio valve technology. To begin with, this development was marvelled at in Europe. For instance, an article dated 13 August 1922 in the “Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung” newspaper reporting about the “wireless as a pastime – the most recent fashion in America”. The story featured illustrations of a #Radio installation including an aerial system spanning the windscreen. The passion for mobile #Radio reception quickly grew: German specialist magazine “Funkschau” wrote on 1 June 1931: “Without a doubt: cars and Radios are a perfect match. The speed at which vehicles enable changing location is supplemented by the Radioʼs spatial liberty.”

Further information in the press release to download