Highway Hi-Fi
Encyclopedia
Highway Hi-Fi was a system of proprietary players and seven-inch phonograph records with standard LP center holes designed for use in automobiles. Designed and developed by Peter Goldmark
, who also developed the LP microgroove, the discs utilized 135 grams of vinyl each, enough to press a then-still-standard 10-inch LP (12-inch LP's of the period commonly used 160 grams of vinyl each and 45's used roughly 70 grams).
The system appeared in Chrysler
automobiles from 1956 to 1959 (1956-1958 model years). The 16⅔ RPM records intended therefor were manufactured exclusively by Columbia Special Products
, and could hold roughly 45 minutes of music or an hour of speech per side. This was accomplished not only by the extremely tight groove pitch of 550 LPI but also by extending the recording surface down to a circumference of 2-1/4 inches at the center lock groove.
This restricted the label size to a mere 1-1/2 inches for playing titles, however demonstration discs which did not require such an extended playing time were manufactured with standard 3-inch labels.
The players themselves were manufactured by CBS Electronics
. According to the official Chrysler press release of September 12, 1955, "Highway Hi-Fi plays through the speaker of the car radio and uses the radio's amplifier system. The turntable for playing records, built for Chrysler by CBS-Columbia, is located in a shock-proof case mounted just below the center of the instrument panel. A tone arm, including sapphire stylus and ceramic pick up, plus storage space for six long-play records make up the unit." A button controlled whether you listened to the radio or the records. The records were cut 550 grooves to the inch (over four times that of a standard mono LP of the period) and required a proprietary 0.25-mil stylus at a stylus pressure of two grams.
Highway Hi-Fi units were pre-installed and not available as after-market add-ons. With a tendency to break or malfunction, and a limited number of titles (which were available solely from one label's back catalog), the line was not a commercial success; Chrysler slowly began to pull support for Highway Hi-Fi as early as 1957 when it became aware of the high cost of servicing the units under warranty. Another automobile record player was manufactured by RCA from 1960 to 1961. This later version dropped the "Highway Hi-Fi" label (not being Chrysler-exclusive) and played standard 45 RPM 7" records. It too suffered a short lifespan: the players were even more prone to malfunction than those manufactured by CBS, and standard 7" records had their grooves worn down rapidly by the high stylus pressure used to prevent skipping.
Peter Carl Goldmark
Peter Carl Goldmark was a German-Hungarian engineer who, during his time with Columbia Records, was instrumental in developing the long-playing microgroove 33-1/3 rpm vinyl phonograph disc, the standard for incorporating multiple or lengthy recorded works on a single disc for two generations...
, who also developed the LP microgroove, the discs utilized 135 grams of vinyl each, enough to press a then-still-standard 10-inch LP (12-inch LP's of the period commonly used 160 grams of vinyl each and 45's used roughly 70 grams).
The system appeared in Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
automobiles from 1956 to 1959 (1956-1958 model years). The 16⅔ RPM records intended therefor were manufactured exclusively by Columbia Special Products
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, and could hold roughly 45 minutes of music or an hour of speech per side. This was accomplished not only by the extremely tight groove pitch of 550 LPI but also by extending the recording surface down to a circumference of 2-1/4 inches at the center lock groove.
This restricted the label size to a mere 1-1/2 inches for playing titles, however demonstration discs which did not require such an extended playing time were manufactured with standard 3-inch labels.
The players themselves were manufactured by CBS Electronics
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. According to the official Chrysler press release of September 12, 1955, "Highway Hi-Fi plays through the speaker of the car radio and uses the radio's amplifier system. The turntable for playing records, built for Chrysler by CBS-Columbia, is located in a shock-proof case mounted just below the center of the instrument panel. A tone arm, including sapphire stylus and ceramic pick up, plus storage space for six long-play records make up the unit." A button controlled whether you listened to the radio or the records. The records were cut 550 grooves to the inch (over four times that of a standard mono LP of the period) and required a proprietary 0.25-mil stylus at a stylus pressure of two grams.
Highway Hi-Fi units were pre-installed and not available as after-market add-ons. With a tendency to break or malfunction, and a limited number of titles (which were available solely from one label's back catalog), the line was not a commercial success; Chrysler slowly began to pull support for Highway Hi-Fi as early as 1957 when it became aware of the high cost of servicing the units under warranty. Another automobile record player was manufactured by RCA from 1960 to 1961. This later version dropped the "Highway Hi-Fi" label (not being Chrysler-exclusive) and played standard 45 RPM 7" records. It too suffered a short lifespan: the players were even more prone to malfunction than those manufactured by CBS, and standard 7" records had their grooves worn down rapidly by the high stylus pressure used to prevent skipping.