Hiway Hifi?

[Mike Szadaj]

I was watching a 1959 film titled The World, the Flesh, and the Devil. Harry Belafonte finds himself in a post nuclear war world. He goes into a car dealership and hotwires himself a 1958 Chrysler 300 convertible. As he is under the dash, there is a great shot of the car’s beautiful dashboard. I saw something below the radio that I think may be a highway hi-fi. Does anyone think I am correct, or does this picture show something other than that under the radio?

 

[guy gadbois]

Thats my best guess also.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

I'm not sure, but I doubt that is the Hi-Way Hi-Fi.

Here are a couple photos that I have, two show the Hi-Fi but with the front opened up. They both appear to be mounted to the floor tunnel, not to the dash. The third photo is of a Chrysler 300 interior that shows approximately what your photo shows, I believe it is the slider for the air control. It is mounted to the dash just below the radio much like in your photo. FWIW.

1956 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer interior with Hi-Fi.......

1959 Dodge Custom Royal interior with Hi-Fi...........

1958 Chrysler 300 interior.......appears to be similar to your photo.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

It looks like you are correct M&M

 

[guy gadbois]

I don't know about particular brands - assumed "Hiway Hi-Fi" was somewhat generic like 'kleenex' or something- but I have a friend that has a record player in his 63 Chevy and it is hung under the dash. He told me it came out of 'some old Chrysler' way back in the day...

 

[RR Fan Dan]

I never knew there was such a thing. Now I feel stupid like my daughters boyfriend when I showed him the 8 track player in my Lincoln Mark IV. He had never heard of such a thing. His brain only went as far back as cassette tapes. My brain does go further than 8 tracks though, I remember reel to reel.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

The highway hi-fi was not generic. In fact, it was proprietary. It used special records that played slow in order to fit more music on them. As far as I know, Chrysler was the only company that sold them. There is a lot about them written on the Internet. You can find it on Wikipedia. They were only around for three years.

 

[OneWheelPeel]

Now I want to see that movie.

 

[guy gadbois]

The highway hi-fi was not generic. In fact, it was proprietary. It used special records that played slow in order to fit more music on them. As far as I know, Chrysler was the only company that sold them. There is a lot about them written on the Internet. You can find it on Wikipedia. They were only around for three years.

OK... didn't know. memory tells me - and I'm certainly NOT positive - that the one JB has is an RCA or Motorola maybe? Now I'm curious...

 

[Mike Szadaj]

I have a couple of them. This one was made by RCA. They were changers, so you could stack records to be played. They played the records upside down. Road bumps were a problem. They played conventional 45’s.