Forgot where I picked this up, but a nice piece:

Not sure how big Matsushita Co. was in the 1950s, but this item shows an early commitment to quality - testified by the fact that it runs fine without any repairs/restoration thanks to its use of ceramic capacitors throughout. Other quality features are audio negative feedback and larger 6-inch loudspeaker. Note separate feedback winding on output transformer.

I wonder if National tried selling any mantle radios in Australia, as often in the '50's and '60's some struggling Japanese companies like Datsun and Teac focused more on Australia than the US for export!

I didnt know Datsun made radios but TEAC was very big in Australia for quite a while.

I didn't know Datsun made radios either. Those that had radios fitted seemed to be fitted with AWA Clarion AM-only radios.

Datsun is a brand that Nissan used for its export cars. Not sure how Datsun relates to radio manufacture.

Very good sound according to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=117tnE0PanE

Hot chassis, as they were.

I meant to say Datsun cars like the luxury model '70' for Japan & Australia as seen at the 4-minute mark in this film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJLE2pnN9WY.

Very good sound according to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=117tnE0PanE

Wow, that one sounds extra good, better than mine! Extended bass from big speaker & transformer. The circuit diagram designates the speaker as being "6.5in" but the speaker has 16cm (6.25") stamped on it. It is actually just 6" (first instance of Japanese exaggerating specs?)

Six valves and FM band? It should sound good.

Hot chassis... be careful.

Never heard of a 17EW8 valve before.. but I see it's just a ECC85 (as used in many European radios) with a different heater.

I am a big fan of valve FM radios and have quite a few in my collection. There are some European, manly German, but including English & Austrian, a Dutch Philips tuner made for the South African market & various Japanese tuner amps.

My favourite FM stations are 3RRR & 3PBS, but unfortunately my German sets only go up to about 104MHz which rules out PBS.

As has been here mentioned before, Australia did have FM broadcasting between 1947 & 1961. It was done away with ostensibly to make room for more TV channels when country television broadcasting commenced. Neville Williams' editorials in RTV&H on the subject of the demise of FM in Australia make an interesting read!

Robbbert. The 17EW8 valve is a series heater 17 volt version of a 6AQ8/ECC88 twin triode. Just about all my valve FM radios, including the Japanese tuner amps, use a 6AQ8/ECC85 in the front end. If a 6AQ8/ECC85 is hard to come by a 6BQ7A seems to work fine as a substitute.

Datsun had great success here in Australia with some great race cars and sales ,,In about 1964 they released the Blue Bird into the Australian market and a number of little utes , later The Datsun 1600 won so many rally races in the 60's and 70's its become a legend and today these cars are very $$ collectable .

The 240z would do about 120 mph "200klm'' off the show room floor with no modification
The Datsun Fairlady 2000 would do about 120mph as well

Datsun made some of the best sports cars during the 1965-74,

During the late 70's and early 80s the 180b's were in everyones driveways and were a huge seller.

I worked many of their sports cars like the 240z and fairlady 2000 and found them to be amazing cars for speed & handling as well as reliable . Sadly their success story goes down hill after the name change from Datsun to Nissan,

I have had a lot to do with Datsun ,But never knew they were related to Radio in anyway
>>>>>>>>pete

PS I have a very cool looking National FM 1960s Transistor Radio,,,Its a Beauty!

I used to have this radio here:

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/matsushita_national_ae_690.html

Being a transformer set suitable for 240 volt mains, and being found here in Australia, I think it is possible that it was originally sold new here.

Cheaper, more basic sets would have been uneconomic to import into Australia, do to a £10 import duty (I believe that's how much it was, but I can't confirm).

If a 6AQ8/ECC85 is hard to come by a 6BQ7A seems to work fine as a substitute.

I have a few ECC85 (but no 6AQ8) so it's no problem. I tend to replace them with 6ES8 which, after realignment, gives more gain.

Matsushita Electric co. date back to the early days of electricity. Their first product was a power plug, made out of wood.

Import duties made Japanese radios very expensive in Australia, but some were imported.

National Panasonic opened an Australian factory in Penrith in 1969. They made monochrome televisions, very good ones which even now are likely to be working properly when found. It's possible they also made radios.