AUTOMOBILIA
Old-fashioned music
That push-button Motorola looks just right in your Cortina, but won’t stream your podcasts – or will it? Gordon Cruickshank twiddles some knobs and finds that almost anything is possible
Spin those discs: records were the first option for your own choice of in-car entertainment
One of the few things that niggles me about my 1989 BMW 635 is that it came with a horrible ’90s radio – all swoopy chrome and flashing lights. I could search for the correct period radio-cassette, but then I’d miss out on DAB, Bluetooth and BBC podcasts. So I’ve been investigating alternatives. As a result this column is less about collecting than finding suitable old-looking things for the classic car you’ve already collected.
“Yo u’ve
– but you’ll
probably thrown out your CDs
regret that”
If you do want a period radio that matches your car’s age you’ll find dealers at the big autojumbles as well as online. And once you’ve found the right head unit you can have it invisibly converted to VHF, DAB or Bluetooth (including hands-free phone) while retaining the original look. It will cost, though: expect to pay £400 upwards for a mid-range upgraded unit, while specialists Tadpole Radios ask £1800 for a DAB and Bluetooth-converted set for a 1960s Rolls-Royce. At Chrome London there’s a range of period radios any of which can be modernised, starting at £295 for an original VW campervan radio (plus £55 for MP3/iPod connection) right up to a hens’ teeth original Becker for a BMW 507, now with all digital doodahs – £3795. But a 507 is worth a couple of million so it’s peanuts.