Arvin 951T

This salmon-color Arvin radio was manufactured by Arvin Industries, Inc. of Columbus, Indiana. The company was formerly known as Noblitt-Sparks Industries until it was renamed to Arvin Industries in 1950. This radio shows the sheer simplicity in both electronic and classic cabinet design during the fifties. The electronics are based on the commonplace AA5 circuit but with the miniature 7-pin tube lineup. All the components were mounted on a printed circuit board. By the fifties, PCBs have emerged as the favored, inexpensive, and lightweight option for assembling electronic components over the old-fashioned chassis with point-to-point wiring. What would have taken hours to wire by hand could be etched on a PCB in minutes. This model was offered in multiple colors including Ivory, Cherry, Citron Yellow, Bitter Green, Sandalwood, and Coral (this example). The model 950T was a plain brown bakelite cabinet color called Rosewood.

I was given this radio for free at a VRPS Convention flea market in circa 2001.