|
Is there a car (or even van) which does not come with a radio or similar as standard?
|
|
Why, don't you like music? ;)
|
|
|
am i right in saying that BMW's used to have the radio as a optional extra,
I remember my ex's Grandfather he had bought this brand new BMW at the time is was a on a x plate i think) and he would not out of princible have the radio installed as "that was not the proper way of driving a car" so there was just this blanking plate where the stereo should have been, in a way i kind of admired him for that
|
|
I think in the past, the more upmarket cars were just supplied with "radio pre-wiring and aerial" so the discerning owner could choose the radio that sounded best to their ears. Now, in the age of the iPod, sound quality is not as important as style or convenience, so cars have fairly reasonable radios fitted as standard and most people are happy.
|
When I worked at a Renault dealership in the early 1980s, new cars were offered with a choice of radios; I don't remember if there was a standard "basic" one but all the cars came with a blanking plate so probably not.
It's thanks to the much-maligned Japanese that we now have so many "accessories" as standard fitting. Anyone remember the series of "ultra-basic" cars in the 1970's which allegedly cost more to produce than the original base model? Vauxhall Viva and Ford Escort Popular (hideous) spring to mind.
In the mid-80's I had a lovely Rover 2000TC which had never been fitted with a radio.
It's only fairly recently that they were fitted as standard in lorries; mind you it would have been a pointless exercise on most British HGV's as they were so noisy that you'd never be able to hear a radio anyway!
Edited by Harleyman on 23/01/2009 at 21:26
|
|
A two door Viva with cross ply tyres and an optional heater, no mats, no HRW, the only plus to the whole thing was that its hideous bodyshell evolved into the Firenza and eventually the droop-snoot Firenza which was a beast.
|
PU
I had the loan of a 2.0 litre Firenza for a week in the 70's. It was the only time in my life that I was frightened of a car. It was absolutely horrendous to drive.
|
|
Cheeky little rear wheel drive thing (no electronics)
|
|
'Cheeky' suggests friendly. That car was no friend of mine!!
|
|
|
|
its hideous bodyshell evolved into the Firenza>>
Must have evolved quickly to beat the rust!
|
|
|
|
|
Is there a car (or even van) which does not come with a radio or similar as standard?
If your car has a radio and you prefer it not to, leave the car overnight out in the open with the doors unlocked and the radio will often disappear.
|
|
Along with the rest of the car...
|
|
|
|
|
Don't know about that but Father-in-Law has a 2004 Polo where the radio has never been used. He even removed the antenna from its base.
|
>>He even removed the antenna from its base.
How much extra mpg did he get? ;)
On the original bill for my Maxi it has the radio as an extra - £65 in 1979! MW/LW push button thing and still works, much to my surprise it'll still pick up some radio stations!
|
When I first left school I worked for Rediffusion (TVs), when they first had vans they had them without heaters fitted to save money (before vans the engineers used to go to customers houses via the bus).
|
|
and i bet you still had change from 2 shillings after a night out and a tram ride home
|
|
|
|
On the original bill for my Maxi it has the radio as an extra - £65 in 1979! MW/LW push button thing and still works much to my surprise it'll still pick up some radio stations!
My old 1963 GMC truck has its original (optional extra) AM radio fitted, and it still works.
As for the price, it's proof that the price of consumer electronics has plummetted over the years, although you could I suppose be cynical and wonder how much of that was the dealer's profit for fitting what was then considered to be very much an extra.
My Dad bought his first brand-new car in 1983, a Talbot Horizon. The standard radio was a MW/LW push-button thing, Phillips ISTR. I remember suggesting to him that he spent a bit extra and had an FM job fitted, but he didn't; and this about a year before most radio stations went to FM. :-(
|
|
|
|
|
SWMBOs late Grandfather in his youth bought a brand new Ford Popular (IIRC), he retained the receipt which included such optional extras as "oil filter".
One of the options he skipped over was heater!!
FiL had an Isetta Bubble Car from new, one of his extras was "blinkers". Hard for us young uns to appreciate just how spoilt we are, even with a base model...
|
my Triumph (mk1 2000) has:
- one speed wipers (which means on a wet motorway/ dual carriageway you're confined to about 55mph, because any faster you can't see)
- no HRW (you just open one of the little side windows)
- no rear foglights
- dynamo instead of alternator, so if everything is on, the lights dim
- no place to put a radio, (so years ago i put one inside the glove box and hid the speakers under the dashboard)
- it does have a heater (in name only, the most i've ever got out of it was tepid)
|
my Triumph (mk1 2000) has:
- no place to put a radio (so years ago i put one inside the glove box and hid the speakers under the dashboard)
They were known as a wireless in those days. Where did you put the lead-acid accumulator and grid bias battery?
;-)
Edited by L'escargot on 24/01/2009 at 15:38
|
|
|
|
