Silvertone Radio

[Spinneyhill]

I have had this Silvertone radio for many years, taking up space. I realise it was a brand sold by Sears Roebuck, but can anyone tell me when and if any particular model of car took them?

 

The control head has always been with it. The ends fit the places on one end that look like control entries.

 

In the back of my mind, I think someone told me it was out of a Ford, but it is so long ago that may be rubbish.

 

Thanks very much for your help.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Spinneyhill (see edit history)

[roysboystoys]

If you pull the covers off , you may find a model number.

Maybe this will help:

https://sites.google.com/site/identifyingcarradios/

 

I think it's a universal radio , maybe the head is specific to a model?

[Spinneyhill]

I took the top off. The speaker (ROLA model 6H) is on the inside of it. I can see no model number on the radio. There are a couple of stickers, one giving a long list of possible patents that might apply to it and the other about licensing by Hazeltine Corporation for use only in homes. The first label says US Patent Mfg No 1731, the other says just MFG NO 1731. I suppose that is the model, then?

 

That site gives very little on Sears radios. I had been there. Thank you. I think it is aftermarket and the head would mount on the folded back bottom lip of the dash.

 

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sears_roeb_1731.html

shows a Sears 1731 as a table radio from 1934 - it is in a wooden box.

Edited November 10, 2019 by Spinneyhill (see edit history)

[Bloo]

1731 probably refers to who actually made it. Sears didn't manufacture much, but contracted others to make things in their own brands, exclusive to them.

 

Later on, Silvertone (and other Sears) items had the manufacturer at the beginning. For instance, 528 was Warwick, so something Silvertone made by Warwick might have a part number 528.xxxxxxx.

 

EDIT: OOPS maybe not. Most of them were only 3 digits. All of them were in the 30s. Im stumped.

 

https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=44610

 

EDIT 2: do you have anything like this?

 

 

I think 101 (on this radio above) is Colonial radio. Im not sure how he made the jump in the link below from 101.598 to Silvertone 6302.

 

https://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=164536

 

 

Edited November 10, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Spinneyhill]

Thank you for your replies. There is no label of any sort on it, other than handwritten saying positive earth, 6V only, 8 Amps.

 

I sent the photos to radiomuseum.org. They replied that they had not seen anything like that before and guessed it to be about 1940. They also set up a model page at

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sears_roeb_silvertone_auto_radio_1731.html

[drwatson]

Judging by control head, it looks like it's a "Universal" model designed to mount under any dash.  Sear offered control heads for specific model autos , but this one is the "Universal fit".  Ad below is for 1937.

 

Edited November 12, 2019 by drwatson (see edit history)

[Spinneyhill]

I sent a photo of the chassis to the radio museum. They now think it was made about 1937 by the Howard Radio Company, Chicago, IL.