VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Radios, Tools, Accessories 1960's AM / FM Radio Question

Recently I was visiting a museum in Indiana, which had on display an AM radio from a 1961 full size Chevy. As far as I can tell by the angled positioning of the radio knobs, that much is accurate. The placard associated with the radio notes ...

"This was one of the last AM-only radios made by Delco. By March 1963, AM/FM radios were standard in all GM products."

I don't believe this is true, and that's what I'm trying to determine, so as to inform the museum (which is located very close to the Delco plant is) to correct their information. For example, I know for a fact that my family bought a brand new 1970 Impala which had an AM-only radio installed.

So, for GM in general, and for Chevrolet products in particular, when did AM/FM radio become standard equipment? Thanks!!

I too had 70's vehicles with AM only. Had a 71 Nova that had a radio deleted dash. I had to cut the opening for a radio as the dash had a no opening.

I could see late 70's maybe am/fm being standard but might have been brand by brand in the early days of it becoming a standard fixture.

For the Chevrolet GM Division the FM radio was new for fulll size cars in Mid 1963.
An FM radio was a rare accessory/option for a Chevrolet for many years after that.

To answer your question I don't think that was until the 80's.

As far as the 61 radio being the "last" I think it might have been the last radio that had any tubes. The 62 unit is physically the same but it was called (this is from the 1962 Chevrolet Radio and Service Shop Manual) "a superheterodyne automobile radio" .......... "it contains 5 transistors and 3 diodes, one transistor being a "HI-POWER" audio output transistor and is comparable to any seven tube radio in performance"
I can't speak for the other GM brands. Ray would be they guy to shed some more light on this,

Right arm in cast. Can't write!

Having been there myself with a cast on my right hand, I know that typing and writing are the least of your problems!
Hope you are the mend

Corvette radios: 1953 to mid-model year 1963 had signal seeking AM only radios. by mid 1963 production, the only Corvette radio came with AM and FM(which no longer signal seeked). all 1953-55 corvettes were equipped with a radio as part of base price. by 1956, one could delete the radio and this practice occurred till last C-1 was built in 1962. there was no need to cut the dash if subsequent owners elected to install a radio in a radio delete 56-62 Corvette. they simply removed the radio delete plate on said corvette and installed a radio. starting in 1963, if the corvette was radio delete, then one had to cut out the center of the dash to install a radio. I think the transistor radios showed up in 1963. mike mccagh

The 1953 Corvette had signal seeking? Could you get that in a standard 1953 passenger car?

yes boo, the 53 vets were equipped with signal seeking radios. they didn't function well. mike

No, not until 1955 with the first WB option in the full car line.

1953 and 1954 cars gave you a choice of a manually tuned or push button AM radio.....and about 10% went out of the door with no radio.