Receivers from the USSR: a brief history of audio systems in Soviet cars
The history of car audio systems began in 1904. For decades, the Soviet Union did not participate in it. However, later in the USSR many interesting receivers and players were manufactured. Today we decided to talk about it.
Andshel / CC Photo
It is believed that the world history of car audio systems began in 1904, when the American inventor Lee De Forest, nicknamed the “Father of Radio”, demonstrated the first car radio at the World’s Fair. However, such devices hit the massive car market only in the 1930s. This happened also in the USA, where in those years the automotive industry was actively developing.
In the USSR, only this time created the first major production of passenger cars. Soviet models of the "first wave", for example, NAMI-1They were assembled by hand, because the process of their production was long and expensive. At the same time, they were distributed among the garages of enterprises, and professional drivers drove them. As can be judged by the information that has come down to our time, the receivers were not installed in them.
Automobile radio receivers in the USSR appeared around the time when the active development of broadcasting began. The very first Soviet car radio was the AI-656 , released in 1936 for the ZIS-101 limousine . In the name of the receiver its characteristics were encrypted - “6-circuit, 5-lamp” - and year of manufacture (1936).
However, as can be judged by clippings from newspapers that leadusers of the amateur radio forum, the A-5 model became the first mass-produced car radio in the USSR. It was developed on the basis of "A-695", which was produced in 1945 for the car of a representative class " ZIS-110 " and the subsequent " ZIM ".
Mass equipment car receivers began with the release of "Muscovites" for foreign markets . One of the export models was the " Moskvich-402 ", released in 1956. He received several updates in the part of additional equipment in comparison with his predecessors - the “400th” and “401th”. Among other things, the "402nd" was equipped with a regular radio - " A-8M ".
Evgeny Kochnev, author of the book "Famous cars. 1946-1970 " indicates that at the time of the release of the improved version of the" 402nd "- the car" Moskvich-407 "- about a third of the" Muscovites "were sent abroad. There, they were especially appreciated for their two-tone coloration and rare radios for this class.
Photo bogdan / CC
In the following years, other Soviet cars began to be equipped with receivers. Among them were the "Volga" and "Zaporozhtsy". At the same time, an “elite segment” of automotive systems began to take shape - they were equipped by high-ranking officials. For example, in the late Soviet period in the "Seagull" and "ZIL-115" put "AV-75". The receiver hadseveral modifications: "AV-75-3C", "AV-75-3E", "AV-75-ChS" and "AV-75-CHE" - the letters at the end of the name indicated the car brand and VHF range (for the USSR or Europe ).
The machines of some party leaders, including the limousine of Leonid Brezhnev, were equipped with an AV-75-3C receiver from the Riga Radiotehnika factory. Its feature was the presence of a control panel and an input for connecting a cassette tape recorder.
Photo Pxhere / CC
Some models of Soviet receivers are still valued - you can find rare devices “ Ural Auto ” on online auctions.". This receiver was released in the 70s. Its main feature was versatility - it could be used as a portable device. For example, this is how Ural Auto-2 works .
In general, the range of radio receivers in the period from 1950 to 1970 slightly exceeded 20 models.
In the second half of the 20th century, radio was popular all over the world. At the same time, new formats appeared. This trend has not spared the automotive industry. In the late 1950s, serial record players (for example, Highway Hi-Fi at Chrysler) were released in the USA for cars. The device did not have time to become widely demanded due to a number of restrictions (in particular, it had a modest collection of available records) and gave way to cassette players.
In the 60s in the USSR they made their attempt to make a car vinyl player - “Daisi”. Not much evidence was preserved about him, but it is known that he was produced in Tbilisi. As in the case with Highway Hi-Fi, for “Daisi” they released format plates slower than usual - 16⅔ turns. There are opinionsthat the manufacturer managed to solve the problems of the American counterpart. While the media library for Highway Hi-Fi was limited, a "wide range of records" was allegedly prepared for Daisi. Such a player could be installed in the "Volga".
But more is known about the tape recorders of that time. In 1972, three systems were developed at the plant in St. Petersburg - Avtokassetta-Stereo, Avtokassetta-201 and Avtokassetta-202-stereo - for Zhiguli, Volg, Moskvich and Zaporozhtsev. However, these recorders for some reason did not go into production. But two years later, on their base in the Moscow region, they started to issueAM-301 systems, and Grodno-301 in Grodno. The players were similar to each other on the device and were designed for installation in cars VAZ-2103 and IL-2125. AM and Grodno reproduced MK-60 cassettes with a 3.81 mm wide tape.
Later, stereosystems began to be produced in Kharkov, Arzamas, Tambov, Murom and other cities. The devices were produced during the 80s, and some models continued to be assembled in the 90s.
Photo by Jury Svetashev / CC
Next, the production of car stereo systems began. For example, since 1987, the Vega 8АС-2А was produced in the Novosibirsk region.", Which is positioned as equipment with high-quality sound. Thus, for half a century, audio systems in Soviet cars have gone from the first receivers to the prototype of automobile Hi-Fi.
Materials for additional reading from the "Hi-Fi World":
Andshel / CC Photo
The age of radio receivers
It is believed that the world history of car audio systems began in 1904, when the American inventor Lee De Forest, nicknamed the “Father of Radio”, demonstrated the first car radio at the World’s Fair. However, such devices hit the massive car market only in the 1930s. This happened also in the USA, where in those years the automotive industry was actively developing.
In the USSR, only this time created the first major production of passenger cars. Soviet models of the "first wave", for example, NAMI-1They were assembled by hand, because the process of their production was long and expensive. At the same time, they were distributed among the garages of enterprises, and professional drivers drove them. As can be judged by the information that has come down to our time, the receivers were not installed in them.
Automobile radio receivers in the USSR appeared around the time when the active development of broadcasting began. The very first Soviet car radio was the AI-656 , released in 1936 for the ZIS-101 limousine . In the name of the receiver its characteristics were encrypted - “6-circuit, 5-lamp” - and year of manufacture (1936).
However, as can be judged by clippings from newspapers that leadusers of the amateur radio forum, the A-5 model became the first mass-produced car radio in the USSR. It was developed on the basis of "A-695", which was produced in 1945 for the car of a representative class " ZIS-110 " and the subsequent " ZIM ".
Mass equipment car receivers began with the release of "Muscovites" for foreign markets . One of the export models was the " Moskvich-402 ", released in 1956. He received several updates in the part of additional equipment in comparison with his predecessors - the “400th” and “401th”. Among other things, the "402nd" was equipped with a regular radio - " A-8M ".
Evgeny Kochnev, author of the book "Famous cars. 1946-1970 " indicates that at the time of the release of the improved version of the" 402nd "- the car" Moskvich-407 "- about a third of the" Muscovites "were sent abroad. There, they were especially appreciated for their two-tone coloration and rare radios for this class.
Photo bogdan / CC
In the following years, other Soviet cars began to be equipped with receivers. Among them were the "Volga" and "Zaporozhtsy". At the same time, an “elite segment” of automotive systems began to take shape - they were equipped by high-ranking officials. For example, in the late Soviet period in the "Seagull" and "ZIL-115" put "AV-75". The receiver hadseveral modifications: "AV-75-3C", "AV-75-3E", "AV-75-ChS" and "AV-75-CHE" - the letters at the end of the name indicated the car brand and VHF range (for the USSR or Europe ).
The machines of some party leaders, including the limousine of Leonid Brezhnev, were equipped with an AV-75-3C receiver from the Riga Radiotehnika factory. Its feature was the presence of a control panel and an input for connecting a cassette tape recorder.
Photo Pxhere / CC
Some models of Soviet receivers are still valued - you can find rare devices “ Ural Auto ” on online auctions.". This receiver was released in the 70s. Its main feature was versatility - it could be used as a portable device. For example, this is how Ural Auto-2 works .
In general, the range of radio receivers in the period from 1950 to 1970 slightly exceeded 20 models.
New formats
In the second half of the 20th century, radio was popular all over the world. At the same time, new formats appeared. This trend has not spared the automotive industry. In the late 1950s, serial record players (for example, Highway Hi-Fi at Chrysler) were released in the USA for cars. The device did not have time to become widely demanded due to a number of restrictions (in particular, it had a modest collection of available records) and gave way to cassette players.
In the 60s in the USSR they made their attempt to make a car vinyl player - “Daisi”. Not much evidence was preserved about him, but it is known that he was produced in Tbilisi. As in the case with Highway Hi-Fi, for “Daisi” they released format plates slower than usual - 16⅔ turns. There are opinionsthat the manufacturer managed to solve the problems of the American counterpart. While the media library for Highway Hi-Fi was limited, a "wide range of records" was allegedly prepared for Daisi. Such a player could be installed in the "Volga".
But more is known about the tape recorders of that time. In 1972, three systems were developed at the plant in St. Petersburg - Avtokassetta-Stereo, Avtokassetta-201 and Avtokassetta-202-stereo - for Zhiguli, Volg, Moskvich and Zaporozhtsev. However, these recorders for some reason did not go into production. But two years later, on their base in the Moscow region, they started to issueAM-301 systems, and Grodno-301 in Grodno. The players were similar to each other on the device and were designed for installation in cars VAZ-2103 and IL-2125. AM and Grodno reproduced MK-60 cassettes with a 3.81 mm wide tape.
Later, stereosystems began to be produced in Kharkov, Arzamas, Tambov, Murom and other cities. The devices were produced during the 80s, and some models continued to be assembled in the 90s.
Photo by Jury Svetashev / CC
Next, the production of car stereo systems began. For example, since 1987, the Vega 8АС-2А was produced in the Novosibirsk region.", Which is positioned as equipment with high-quality sound. Thus, for half a century, audio systems in Soviet cars have gone from the first receivers to the prototype of automobile Hi-Fi.
Materials for additional reading from the "Hi-Fi World":
