The subject of whether a particular radio is ugly or not has been raised in another thread and it gave me the idea to start a discussion on what the ugliest radio is.

Back when I first started collecting around 1988/1989 I must admit that I found the AWA 'Empire State' Radiolettes were ugly though that was more due to youthful inability to appreciate a good thing when I saw it. Sadly, a good investment opportunity also slipped through my fingers. At the time you could be given one of those radios and now they go for more than $1,000.00 a piece and sometimes far more, depending on colour and condition of the cabinet.

Over time I think the Radiolettes are one of the most attractive radios rather than being ugly.

I think the title of ugliest radio should go to the Peter Pan 'Boomerang' console from the early 1950s. This console had a bakelite top supported by a pressed aluminium body and would have cost an absolute fortune. It looked about ten years ahead of its time - more suited to the Scandinavian look of Chiswell and Parker furniture of the 1960s and early 1970s.

The most attractive timber radio would probably be the American Atwater Kent breadboard receiver from the 1920s.

The most attractive bakelite radio would be either the AWA Radiolette of 1935, Airzone 'Symphony Leader' of 1938 or the Astor JN 'Harbour Bridge' of 1949.

I suppose one thing should be remembered here - what is good to some won't be to others. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

... I found the AWA 'Empire State' Radiolettes were ugly ...

So did I, and I haven't changed my mind.

Here's another AWA model that I think only its mother could love:

http://img.carters.com.au/146390.jpg.

The Egg Crate - they do look a bit plain. I'm not sure what inspired the design team to make the dial stick out like that.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Some American sets looked pretty good

"The Egg Crate - they do look a bit plain. I'm not sure what inspired the design team to make the dial stick out like that."

Probably imposed on by the same upper echelons that decided that the Leyland P76 had to have a boot that would hold a 44 gallon drum; or put the pedestrian choppers on the HR Holden.

or put the pedestrian choppers on the HR Holden

I think you meant to say HD ... which was designed in the USA and based initially on the Chevy Nova. I have some photos (in a short-lived printed magazine called Retroautos) of the clay and fibreglass models of the HD taking shape in Detroit 3 years before we saw it here.

Yep, and the Chevy Nova and Holden HD turret was based on an Opel of the same period though I do not remember what its model name was.

I reckon America's best looking mantel radio was the Fada 'Bullet' in blue and orange catalin. Their ugliest was probably the Air King that looked like the Empire State Building. That Air King had the same appeal as the Ford Edsel and it was probably due to the dial being above the speaker.

I'll reserve judgement on British receivers for the moment - I'll need to look at a few first. The only ones in my head are the Ekco 'Saucepan' and the famous Bush receiver with the circular speaker port.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

"I think you meant to say HD ... "

I did.

I recall reports that local design teams was opposed to the HD choppers, and the changes to the P76.

Ugliness sometimes arises from attempts at utility, and I wonder if the egg crate was an attempt at making the dial easier to read when on a tabletop. Philips got around this problem very elegantly with their fold down glass dial models.

AWA Radiolette "Empire State" and Airzone Symphony Leader are examples of the "less is more" Art Deco style.

The "Poirot" detective stories have much of this, especially in the opening graphics, and including an occasional glimpse of a radio. Also one of the factory buildings Brad showed recently.

"famous Bush receiver with the circular speaker port"

Wonder if that looked like this RCA 9X571.

The Bush DAC90A.

I didn't have the model number at hand. These are probably the one radio that will never be counted as rare. There's thousands of them all over the world.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Found this Bulova ages ago - a stunner like many of their others.

Once checked ebay and saw other Bulova's of amazing appearance garnering little interest.

Was same Co that made watches AFAIK

^ Missing Bulova image link?

Nope, sent a photo for uploading...

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Wow, that AWA radio in Post #2 looks like it's from the Gulag Archipelago!

I worked at AWA in early to mid 70s (73 Jane St West End, Bris)(Near the River)

They were a bit of a mixed-up & overly diversified company IMO.

They had just moved their storeroom & workshop to the basement just before the Brisbane Flood of '74. (great timing)

Was called in Sat morn to help save stuff as water kept rising. There were a bunch of Hybrid 2-way Radios in for repair which I didn't like, and made no effort to save from the corrosive polluted water.

A tragic aspect of this HD Holden feature was that those protrusions were hollow and would get packed with mud from wheels, promoting rapid rust-out. There goes any resale value the owner might have had!

I can see the resemblance to '63 Nova as mentioned and also noticed a while back a resonance of this design motif in a spotted vintage Buick Skylark which prompted a photo
http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/NewVista1/media/BuickSkylark_zps1eacebf7.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5
(more like the toned-down 1966 Holden)
http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/NewVista1/media/66Holden_zps1849b3fe.jpeg.html?sort=3&o=0