This quirky and somewhat rare little Minute Man 6T-170 was manufactured in Japan by Constant (Fuji High Frequency Radio Lab, Co, Ltd) circa 1959. It has a novel, off beat look to it. Its appearance and design appears to have been strongly influenced by the ‘Space Age’ as it bears some resemblance to lunar pop art images of the time.

It features unusual top mounted tuning and volume controls and a curiously shaped speaker grill resembling two half moons. Actually if just stare at it for a while and 'zone out' the front half begins to look very much like a freaky, bug eyed alien with a sinister little mouth and odd top mounted ears! *shivers*

Constant was a brand name used by Fuji High Frequency Radio Lab, Co, Ltd. This company may have been a subsidiary of Fuji Electric Industry Co, Ltd founded in 1923. Constant designed and manufactured some highly collectible and unusual transistor radios. Constant also made radios under the brandnames Vulcan, Windsor, Barlow, Minute Man, Supre-Macy, Personna, Morse, Crestline, AFCO, Fuji, Hi-Fi, Sabre and probably others.

This Minute Man 6T-170 can also be found branded as Fuji and as Constant, both with the  model number 6T-170. I have also seen a cream colored version branded as 'Hi-Fi. It was distributed in the USA by Intercontinental Industries Inc of Chicago.

This 6T-170 uses the same cabinet as the 6T-270. Both are made by Constant with the 6T-270 branded as a Crestline.

Both measure just 3.8” x 2.2” (98mm H x 58mm W)

Inside you will find 6 Toshiba transistors packed in like sardines...