Philcoradio.com - Philco in the United Kingdom

Philco in the United Kingdom

Philco began exporting Model 20 Baby Grands as well as other models to the UK in 1930. Philco continued to export Philadelphia-made radios to Britain until 1932, at which time a new subsidiary was formed – Philco Radio & Television Corporation of Great Britain. Carleton L. Dyer served as chairman of Philco (UK) for a number of years.

The new Philco subsidiary wasted no time in building a plant at Perivale, Greenford, Middlesex, although some of its models continued to use Philadelphia-built chassis.

As time went on, Philco of Great Britain gradually took over complete manufacture of its own sets; although certain USA Philco models, notably the Model 16, continued to be exported to the British Isles.

It is known that Philco (UK) exported radios to France. As an example, the author formerly owned a 1936 Model 2620 Baby Grand which had a chassis built in Philadelphia, cabinet made at Perivale, Greenford, Middlesex, and a dial scale printed in French, obviously for the French market.

Officers of Philco Radio & Television Corporation of Great Britain, Limited, mid-1930s


Carleton L. Dyer, Chairman	Tim Williams, Director of Production	H.V. Lewis, General Sales Manager

Philco (UK) Historical Photos


A store window display of Philco radios, United Kingdom, 1934	A bus with Philco advertising on the side, Stockton-on-Tees, UK, 1935

Around March 1935: Ground is broken for a new Philco factory at Perivale, Greenford, Middlesex, UK. Chairman Carleton L. Dyer is holding the shovel. Second from left: Tim Williams, Director of Production. Second from right: Capt. Richard Gambier-Parry, Mr. Dyer's assistant. Far right: W.A. Beatty, works manager.	This postcard shows how the new Philco factory at Perivale looked after it was completed.

A Sampling of Philco Radios produced and/or sold in the United Kingdom

Model 233, 1934

Model 233, battery operated, 1934

Model 264, 1934

Model 264 Baby Grand, 1934

Model 264 Concert Grand, 1934

Model 1263, 1934

Model 1263 Baby Grand, 1934
Photo courtesy Sarah Packer

Model 1263E Concert Grand, 1934

Model 1263E Concert Grand, 1934
Photo courtesy Dave Seymour

Model 265, 1935

Model 267, 1935

Model 801T, 1935

Model 801T auto radio, 1935

Model 116X, 1936

Model 116X Radiogram, 1936
Same as USA Model 116PX

Model 205, 1936

Model 255, 1936

Model 255, battery operated, 1936

Model 280, 1936

Model 281

Model 281
Photo courtesy Darren Ashley

Model 282, 1936

Model 282 Empire Five, 1936

Model 290, 1936

Model 290 Empire Six, 1936

Model 290 Radiogram, 1936

Model 290 Empire Six Radiogram, 1936

Model 806T, 1936

Model 806T auto radio, 1936

Model 1280, 1936

Model 1280 Universal, 1936

Model 1280 Concert Grand, 1936

Model 1282 Radiogram, 1936

Model 1282 Empire Five Radiogram, 1936

Model 99, 1937

Model 99 Empire Seven, 1937

Model 99 Radiogram, 1937

Model 99 Empire Seven Radiogram, 1937

Model 269, 1937

Model 269 Radiogram, 1937

Model 295 Empire Five, 1937

Model 444 People's Set

Model 444 "People's Set," 1938
Photo courtesy Nigel Carren

Model 450, 1938

Model 584

Model 584, 1938
Photo courtesy Bill Moore

Model A53, 1938

Model A537, 1938

Model A537 Console, 1938

Model A537 Radiogram, 1938

Model A637, 1938

Model A637, 1938
Photo courtesy Bill Moore

Model A637 Radiogram, 1938

Model A638, 1938

Model A847, 1938

Model A938, 1938

Model A938 Concert Grand
Photo courtesy Jonathan Dollimore

Model A1847 Radiogram, 1938

Model B537, 1938

Model C527 Concert Grand, 1938

Model C527 Bookcase Concert Grand, 1938

Model C537, 1938

Model P322

Model Empire 22 Balmoral, 1938

Model Empire Twenty-Two Balmoral, 1938

Model Empire 22 Buckingham, 1938

Model Empire Twenty-Two Buckingham, 1938

Model Empire 22 Windsor, 1938

Model Empire Twenty-Two Windsor, 1938

Model P-337, 1938

Model P-337, 1938
Photo courtesy Lyle Cox

Philcophone, 1938

Philcophone intercom, 1938

Model U647, 1938

Model U-647, 1938

Model D732 Baby Grand, 1939

Model D732 Concert Grand

Model D732 Concert Grand, 1939

Model A1 Radiogram, 1940

Model A1, 1940

Model A1 (brown), 1940

Model A1 (Ivory), 1940

Model A1 (ivory), 1940

Model A1 (wood), 1940

Model A1 with a replacement wood cabinet
Photo courtesy Jeremy Stevens

Model A3, 1940

Model A5, 1940

Model A7, 1940

Model A9, 1940

Model A539 Big Six, 1940

Model CA638, 1940

Model CA638 Empire Six, 1940

Philco Major, 1940

Model P429, 1940

Model Y2 Speaker, 1940

Model Y2 Extension Speaker, 1940

Model Y3 Extension Speaker, 1940

Model Y3 Table Model Extension Speaker, 1940

Philco Mystery Control Radio, 1940

Philco Mystery Control radio, 1940

Philco Mystery Control Remote, 1940

Philco Mystery Control remote unit, 1940