Philco for 1932 (introduced June 1932)

Overview

Philco began the new 1932 sea­son with their largest line­up of new mod­els to date. There were now 32 all-new Philco radios to choose from, along with the Mod­el 4 short­wave con­vert­er left over from Jan­u­ary 1932.

Unfor­tu­nate­ly, this was the wrong time for Philco to be so ambi­tious. 1932 was the worst year of the Depres­sion, so many sets in the new Philco line sold poorly.

Most of the new Philco line used 6.3 volt fil­a­ment tubes, the same tubes that had been devel­oped for auto radios. The rest of the radio indus­try would even­tu­al­ly adopt the 6.3 volt standard.

Model Index

Mod­el 4 Short­wave Con­vert­er remained in the Philco line­up. All oth­er June 1931/Fall 1931/January 1932 Philco mod­els were discontinued.

Click on a thumb­nail to see infor­ma­tion and pho­tos for each model:

15X 15DX 22L 23X 24L 25L 36B
36L 36D 43B 43H 43X 47B 47H
47D 47X 52B 52C 52L 52 Colo­nial Clock 52GC Grand­fa­ther Clock
71B 71L 71H 71D 71LZ 71GC Grand­fa­ther Clock 91B
91L 91H 91D 91X

Models


Model 15X

Model 15X

Philco's 1932 flag­ship mod­el used 11 tubes and fea­tured a light­ed grille area when the set was on. This was the last set to use the large, heavy chas­sis pan that had been devel­oped in 1928 for the 511 Series line. It used two speak­ers and cov­ered the AM band only.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $150

Num­ber made: 13,400

Model 15DX

Model 15DX - Model 15DX, tambour doors closed. Image courtesy of Tim Dobrava.
Model 15DX - Model 15DX, tambour doors open. Image courtesy of Tim Dobrava. Model 15DX - Image courtesy of Spencer Doggett.

This '15' fea­tured two tam­bour doors at top, which could be pulled shut to con­ceal the dial and con­trols. It also uses twin speakers.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $250

Num­ber made: 1,500

Model 22L

Model 22L

Philco tried to expand its radio-phono­graph line for 1932. How­ev­er, the time was wrong for this, as this was the worst year of the Depres­sion, and all of Philco's radio-phono­graph mod­els sold poor­ly. This par­tic­u­lar mod­el used a Mod­el 71 chassis.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $129.50

Num­ber made: 3,100

Model 23X

Model 23X - Image courtesy of Jim Calla.
Model 23X

Philco's top of the line radio-phono­graph for 1932 used a Mod­el 91 chas­sis. One may be seen in the 1932 movie The Big Broadcast.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $195

Num­ber made: 1,461

Model 24L

Model 24L - Model 224 (export version of Model 24) shown; Model 24L is believed to have been identical in appearance.

This radio-phono­graph con­sole used a Mod­el 52 chassis.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

Model 25L

Model 25L

And this radio-phono­graph con­sole used the Mod­el 43 chassis.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

Model 36B

Model 36B

The 1932 ver­sion of the Baby Grand cab­i­net was designed by Clyde Shuler, and this basic style was used for sev­er­al dif­fer­ent Philco mod­els over the next year and a half. This par­tic­u­lar mod­el is the suc­ces­sor to the Mod­el 35 farm set, and in fact the two chas­sis are iden­ti­cal - there was no change, elec­tri­cal­ly, from Mod­el 35 to Mod­el 36.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $59.50

Num­ber made: 44,700 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Mod­els 47B & 71B)

Model 36L

Model 36L

The bat­tery-oper­at­ed Philco Low­boy for 1932. It sold very poorly.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $69.95

Num­ber made: 200

Model 36D

Model 36D

An attrac­tive high­boy with dou­ble doors.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $85

Num­ber made: 9,500 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Mod­el 47D, 71D & 91D models)

Model 43B

Model 43B - Image courtesy of Ed Locker.

Philco's first all-in-one "all-wave" receiv­er, which uses 8 tubes and cov­ers fre­quen­cies from the AM band to 20 mc in four bands.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $59.50

Num­ber made: Unknown

Model 43H

Model 43H - Image used with permission.

The high­boy ver­sion of Mod­el 43.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $79.95

Num­ber made: 2,500

Model 43X

Model 43X

A very large con­sole with twin speak­ers and "All-Wave" cov­er­age. The cab­i­net is oth­er­wise iden­ti­cal to Mod­el 91X.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $100

Num­ber made: 950

Model 47B

Model 47B - Image courtesy of George Guma.
Model 47B

This is the Baby Grand ver­sion of Philco's 1932 DC-only receiver.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $59.50

Num­ber made: 44,700 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Mod­els 36B & 71B)

Model 47H

Model 47H

The DC-oper­at­ed High­boy for 1932.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $79.50

Num­ber made: 23,100 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Mod­el 71H)

Model 47D

Model 47D

Mod­el 47D cab­i­net is iden­ti­cal to Mod­el 36D cabinet.

The 110 volt DC ver­sion of the 1932 Philco high­boy with dou­ble doors.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $89.50

Num­ber made: 9,500 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Mod­els 36D, 71D & 91D)

Model 47X

Model 47X

An Inclined Sound­ing Board Philco made to oper­ate on direct cur­rent only.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $100

Num­ber made: 225

Model 52B

Model 52B

The suc­ces­sor to Philco's Mod­el 51, the 52 uses the same chas­sis as Mod­el 51. Five tubes, super­hetero­dyne, AM only.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $36.50

Num­ber made: 28,420 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Fall 1932 Mod­el 48B)

Model 52C

Model 52C - Image courtesy of Greg Armstrong.

This mod­el fea­tured the 52 chas­sis in a com­pact table mod­el cab­i­net, a har­bin­ger of things to come. For the time being, how­ev­er, Baby Grand mod­els were still more pop­u­lar than com­pact table models.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $39.50

Num­ber made: 6,200 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Fall 1932 Mod­el 48C)

Model 52L

Model 52L

The low­boy (con­sole) ver­sion of Mod­el 52.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $89.17

Num­ber made: 13,196 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Fall 1932 Mod­els 37L & 48L)

Model 52 Colonial Clock

Model 52 Colonial Clock - Model 551 shown; Model 52 Colonial Clock is identical. Image courtesy of Barry Johnson.
Model 52 Colonial Clock

A table or man­tle clock with a Mod­el 52 chas­sis. A com­pact, yet very attrac­tive set.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $60

Num­ber made: 8,000 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Fall 1931 Mod­el 551 Colo­nial Clock as well as Fall 1932 Mod­el 80 Colo­nial Clock

Model 52GC Grandfather Clock

Model 52GC Grandfather Clock
Model 52GC Grandfather Clock - Front panel detail showing three knobs.

Philco appar­ent­ly used up Mod­el 570 grand­fa­ther clock cab­i­nets by installing some Mod­el 52 chas­sis in these, adding a new front pan­el drilled to accept the 52 con­trol shafts.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: 8,000 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Fall 1931 Mod­el 570 Grand­fa­ther Clock as well as June 1932 Mod­el 71GC Grand­fa­ther Clock)

Model 71B

Model 71B - Image courtesy of Geoffrey Estabrooks.
Model 71B - Image courtesy of Ed Locker. Model 71B - Image used with permission.

An update to Philco's pop­u­lar Mod­el 70, the 71 used Philco's new 6.3-volt High Effi­cien­cy tubes in essen­tial­ly the same cir­cuit­ry as the late ver­sion of Mod­el 70, and housed in a brand-new cathe­dral cab­i­net designed by Clyde Shuler.

Lat­er ver­sions of the 71 used a shad­owme­ter and a dif­fer­ent escutcheon.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $46.50

Num­ber made: 44,700 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Mod­els 36B & 47B)

Model 71L

Model 71L
Model 71L - Model 70 Highboy shown; Model 71L is identical in appearance except for the escutcheon. Image courtesy of Ed Locker.

The Mod­el 71 low­boy was iden­ti­cal to the pre­vi­ous season's Mod­el 70 high­boy. Yes, the same cab­i­net which was pre­vi­ous­ly referred to as a "high­boy" was now being called a "low­boy," which is a more accu­rate description.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $59.50

Num­ber made: 5,200

Model 71H

Model 71H - Image courtesy of Brian T..
Model 71H - Image courtesy of Keith Parks.

This Philco High­boy fea­tures six legs and a stretch­er base, and a sev­en-tube chas­sis that receives the AM band.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $69.50

Num­ber made: 23,100 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Mod­el 47H)

Model 71D

Model 71D
Model 71D

The sev­en-tube ver­sion of Philco's 1932 high­boy with doors. It uses twin speak­ers; one faces for­ward while the oth­er faces down towards the floor.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $79.95

Num­ber made: 9,500 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Mod­els 36D, 47D & 91D)

Model 71LZ

Model 71LZ

The 1932 ver­sion of the 370 Lazy­boy, using a Mod­el 71 chas­sis in place of the pre­vi­ous year's Mod­el 70 chassis.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $69.50

Num­ber made: 16,285 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of June 1931 Mod­el 370 Lazyboy)

Model 71GC Grandfather Clock

Model 71GC Grandfather Clock - 1931 Model 570 shown. Model 71GC Grandfather Clock is identical except for the escutcheon.

The 1932 Grand­fa­ther Clock used a Mod­el 71 chas­sis in place of the pre­vi­ous year's Mod­el 70 chas­sis, but was iden­ti­cal in appearance.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $89.50

Num­ber made: 8,000 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Fall 1931 Mod­el 570 Grand­fa­ther Clock as well as June 1932 Mod­el 52 Grand­fa­ther Clock)

Model 91B

Model 91B - Image courtesy of Nigel Featherston.
Model 91B

Philco's largest Baby Grand for 1932 used 9 tubes and received the AM band. Like most of Philco's bet­ter receivers for this sea­son, the 91 fea­tures a shad­owme­ter as a tun­ing aid.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $68.50

Num­ber made: 23,450

Model 91L

Model 91L

The nine-tube 91 chas­sis in a low­boy cabinet.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $89.50

Num­ber made: 15,000

Model 91H

Model 91H - Model 47H shown. The Model 91H cabinet is identical except for the escutcheon. Image courtesy of Brian T..

This Philco High­boy includes the nine-tube 91 chassis.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $69.95

Num­ber made: 14,346

Model 91D

Model 91D

A nine-tube 1932 Philco high­boy with doors. A great-look­ing radio as well as a great performer.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $99.50

Num­ber made: 9,500 (Note: Fig­ure includes pro­duc­tion of Mod­els 36D, 47D & 71D)

Model 91X

Model 91X - Image courtesy of Terry Van Winkle.
Model 91X - Image courtesy of Bob Atchison.

Anoth­er Inclined Sound­ing Board Philco with twin speak­ers, nine tubes, and cov­er­ing the AM band with the aid of a shadowmeter.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: $100

Num­ber made: 14,675

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