Anyone know which radios were fitted to 1964 VW's in Australia??

Anyone know where I can get one??

Someone may have just the right answer for you, but here are my immediate thoughts:

Not many cars in Oz came with radios as standard equipment in the 1960s. My 1970 Mazda came with one and I was one of the few in my group whose car had an AM radio in the dash as a standard option. Some guys used regular portable transistor radios run from the cigarette lighter via a 12 volt to 9 volt dropper (however, with no connection to an external aerial, that was not a very viable option.)

I cannot recall what the Oz situation was with Beetles and Kombis, but I'm guessing in Europe they would have had a Blaupunkt AM/FM model in them, and in the USA probably a Bendix AM/FM radio, with knobs to match the other VW controls.

Here's a guy driving a 1964 Beetle, and his radio looks strikes me as aftermarket going by the way it's fitted into the dash and its knobs. Nonetheless, it may be one of the models fitted here by VW as an option at the time. You could ask him what type it is via his YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=31&v=mgkb7njj450

Has the car in question been converted to 12 volts, or are you seeking a 6 volt model?

AWA and Astor used to make radios for VWs.

As a kid in the 60's I built a RTV&H kit card radio for a 6v VW for a friend in exchange for him painting my car. It was an all solid state design but when biassed for 6v rather than 12 it took a performance hit.

Another potential source: http://www.clubvw.org.au/

Thanks for the responses.

GTC - Yes, you correctly point to Bendix AM/FM in USA ..... and 1964 seems to be at the change-over from Motorola AM to the AM/FM variants.

I have posted a question on the Youtube site ... but no response as yet. Similarly, I have posted a question to the above suggested VW club without a response. Ditto another VW club also. I am sure that the car is 12 volt negative Earth, but I should check again ....

Ian, I used to own a 1967 MGB. Dealer had fitted a Ferris AM radio. So fitting an Astor or AWA of the era is an option.

The VW belongs to a friend .... who wishes to get close to original ....

GTC, Ian et al

Guy in Youtube video responded ... his is a Blaupunkt ... stereo .... European model ... not sure what was fitted in Aussie VW's.

However, the VWClub Editor responded with a heap a good info ... in summary ...Aussie VW radios were fitted by Dealers .... Astor, AWA and Ferris were the usual choices by customers, and Kriesler and HMV to a lesser extent.

Thanks for your help.

My 64 Beetle was 6 volt

Hmmm! My 1951 Fergie is 6V: MKII Zephyr is 12V that uses a Pommy one (HMV / Smiths). Its data, like some Holden's (Firestone USA: Airchief) are actually a section in their factory Workshop manuals.

My 1967 Ford Cortina has the original radio, sold as an optional accessory by Ford of Australia which is an AWA with Cortina stamped on the front of the radio. It still works well and I often use it when I go for a Sunday drive. I have only had to replace the globe behind the dial. I have kept the original AM radio installed as I find modern CD/Tuner/MP3 players look out of place in a 1960's car.

It still works well

Aussie car radios of that vintage were well built for our conditions. They generally had excellent sensitivity and selectivity, two characteristics that were forgotten once cheap imports became the norm.

I dare say the old car radios had to be built like tanks to cop stick from our gravel roads too, which still exist in large numbers all over the country. It was only during the Howard years that many gravel roads that I knew of, in the Central West and Central and North West Tablelands and Plains were sealed under the Roads to Recovery Programme but further into the Outback regions many roads are still unsealed and probably always will be.

I watched a video on Youtube the other night where road trains still ply unsealed roads and this causes drivers all sorts of grief with dust getting into seals and wearing bearings out and even snapping stub axles. They get around the latter by letting some of the air out of the tyres but the issue with seals is a bit harder to manage and they just factor the costs of wear into their haulage fee structure.

road trains still ply unsealed roads and this causes drivers all sorts of grief

Freight trains would save all of that grief, but they're long gone for all intents and purposes, too.

In the US, rail freight is making a major comeback, particularly on the longhaul east - west routes. Fuel costs are the reason, probably.