Re: mid 60s Cadillac radios

The Wonderbar radio came out long before 1964.

Cadillacs came equipped with them as early as 1950. It may have
debuted in the '40's but 1950 is the earliest year of which I have
first hand knowledge. It had the seek-and-find feature that people
associate today with digital radios even though it was strictly
electro-mechanical in operation. The Wonder Bar feature enabled you to
lock in 5 stations with pre-set buttons and search for more stations
by pressing the "wonder bar". On Cadillacs with power antennaes,
(about 1954 onward) this feature worked in tandem with the antennae.
The antennae rose and fell according to signal strength. The stronger
the signal, the lower the antennae and vice versa.

The wonderbar radio was also shared with sister makes like Pontiac and
Oldsmobile. Corvettes also got them as options in the late fifties and
sixties.

The button on the floor you mention was an option in the 1950's. It
enabled the driver to change stations without taking his hands off the
wheel. This option was also available for rear sear passengers in the
series 75 limousines and Sixty Special sedans, enabling them to
control the radio without having to ask the driver to do it for them.

I drive a 1956 Coupe de Ville and the radio is quite remarkable when
you consider its design predates even transistors. I'll check with
some people in the Cadillac & LaSalle club to find out if 1950 was the
debut year for the Wonderbar or if it came out sometime earlier.

Forrest