TRANSISTOR RADIO DESIGN
Focusing on the design of pocket transistor radios manufactured during the 1950's & 1960's!
ABC TN-603
This impressive ABC TN-603 was manufactured in Japan circa 1959. Who manufactured it is a bit of a mystery but it may have been Toshiba... It features a luscious, ultra thick under-painted tuning dial colored jet black and rich natural gold. WOW! The tuning dial appears to have been inspired by the speedometer of some classic sports car of the 1950’s. Apart from having a very thick under-painted section this radio is also unusual in that it has a layer of clear plastic beneath the speaker grill that also runs across the bottom and sides connecting the back and front halves. So much beautiful plastic!! Mmmmmm plastic….. Nice little atomic age badge too.
This TN-603 is more commonly seen under the brand name ‘Daylight’ with the same model number. Recently I came across a variant branded as 'Esquire' with the model number 6TP-205. I have also seen this radio branded as 'Valiant' and ‘New Apollo’. It shares the same cabinet as the Harpers P65 and the Crest VI with cosmetic variations. Ref; Bob Davidson's M31 Galaxy of Transistor Radios.
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Fellow collector Rick recently informed me that he has an ABC TN-603 with a mint green under-painted face and a black back – impressive!
These ABC’s are smaller than a standard shirt pocket size radio at only 3.7”H (95mm H). They taper slightly from top to bottom and feel weighty and well made.
A common problem with these radios is the loss of the small atomic badge on the front due to the glue degrading over time. The majority are unfortunately missing this badge.
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