First put out in 1956 by the Chrysler Corporation, the “Highway Hi Fi” allowed drivers to listen to their favorite music while bypassing endless radio commercials.
The first components were high end ($200) additions to cars that ranged from Dodge to Plymouth, specific to Columbia Records one hour seven inches. Later, in 1960, RCA, Norelco, and Phillips, put out less expensive models, which were capable of shuffling through 45s. Unfortunately, the 8-track – the next big invention in car audio, caused the in dash vinyl players to cease production around the end of the 1960s.
Given that the average family in the 1950s made about $3500 per year, you can see by the gallery below (which features the likes of George Harrison and Muhammad Ali), the in dash vinyl players were for the rich and celebrated only.
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Source: Dangerous Minds
