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ObviousAirline t1_jegfl8x wrote

I wonder if it skipped like a ‘90s portable CD player.

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jeeper46 t1_jeglmse wrote

The arm of the record player was spring loaded-it took a pretty good bump to skip, but that needle was hard on a record. I knew a guy who had one in his car back then.

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notbob1959 t1_jegrm3q wrote

Yup. That is a Norelco “Auto Mignon".

The Philips Mignon (branded Norelco in the US) was surprisingly long-lived, produced from 1958 through 1970. It didn’t need specially-made records; 45 rpm records were simply slid into a slot in the front, a futuristic development 40 years ahead of in-dash CD players. However, the unit held only one record at a time. You needed to jockey a lot of singles to provide continuous music on any drive longer than around the block. The Beatles reportedly each had one in their cars, and George Harrison was also photographed using one in his Jaguar E-type.

Can't find the exact price but the best I can tell is that it cost about $500 in today's dollars.

The turntable was spring mounted and there was increased downward stylus pressure to prevent skipping and according to Consumer Reports, when the magazine tested the Auto Mignon and other similar players in the early 1960s, the Auto Mignon did not skip even in adverse road conditions. However, concerns were raised regarding premature record wear due to the extra pressure on the stylus.

I can't link to it directly because the spam filter in this sub deletes comments with external links, but the following incomplete link, which can be copied and pasted to your browser, goes to a video that shows one playing a record while being shaken:

youtube.com/watch?v=aKfaEb1n2F4

Skip to about 6:25 to see the demonstration.

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ido50 t1_jeh0anj wrote

Very interesting, thanks for the writeup. Also interesting that Philips is still using the Norelco name today, but for hair trimmers.

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zooterlooter t1_jeglvxl wrote

Just change the record every 3 minutes while driving what could go wrong?

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grunkage t1_jeh0e0l wrote

Imagine feeding that thing another 45 every few minutes. Need a passenger just to keep the tunes going.

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MimiMyMy t1_jeh26z6 wrote

This is the first I’ve ever heard of a car equipped with a record player back in the 50’s. I imagine it skips a lot and scratches the records.

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W_MarkFelt t1_jegnwey wrote

🤯 I had no idea that was an option in certain cars!

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[deleted] t1_jeghckl wrote

[removed]

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froginbog t1_jegkrpa wrote

Prob had a vertical storage in the glove compartment or somewhere else

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Ukabe t1_jegrhr4 wrote

My dream when I was 6 or 7 was a device with infinite music.

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Tha_Watcher t1_jegr1wf wrote

He obviously wasn't "the greatest" at taking care of his records!

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iamleeg t1_jegt28s wrote

That stylus floats like a butterfly.

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