Name: | Westonhouse Radio Ltd.; Auckland (NZ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Abbreviation: | westonhous | ||||||||||||||||||||
Products: | Model types | ||||||||||||||||||||
Summary: |
Westonhouse Radio Ltd. (1937 - 1950) The company manufactured radios with at least twenty different brand names over the time it was in production. In 1950 the company changed its name to Westco Products and it went out of business in 1957. Throughout most of its radio history, the company specialised in the production of private brands, as below.
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Founded: | 1922 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Closed: | 1957 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Production: | 1932 - 1957 | ||||||||||||||||||||
History: |
The Westonhouse name first appeared in advertisements for Benzine Lighting plants around 1922 and the address was Chancery Lane, Auckland. [1] In February 1923 the company moved to the corner of Lorne & Rutland Streets and advertised as Westonhouse Air Gas Co. [2] Their first radio advertisement appeared in July 1932 for the latest Yale radio, second-hand parts for making a 6-valve DC set & a second-hand Cossor 3-valve. [3] In November 1937 the owner of Westonhouse Air and Gas Company, A. Chadwick registered Westonhouse Radio Limited.[4] During and after WW2 the company manufactured equipment for the Military.[5] At a shareholders meeting in June 1950 resolutions were passed to change the company name to Westco Products Ltd. and increase the capital of the company to £50,000. The additional capital was required to support the expanding manufacturing of radios, refrigerators, and fluorescent lights.[6] The company reached an agreement with Murphy Radio, Ltd., of England, in February 1954 under which the English company’s radio and television equipment will be manufactured in New Zealand by Westco Products Ltd. They also acquired the sole rights for New Zealand for certain other equipment manufactured by Murphy Radio, Ltd., and its subsidiaries. They also acquired shares in Stebbing Records. Ltd., a new subsidiary formed to take over the assets of Stebbing Recording and Sound Company, Ltd., of Auckland. The new company has obtained the New Zealand rights for manufacturing the records of the Mercury Record Corporation of Chicago. [7] In 1955 the company, which had a paid-up capital of £73.880, incurred a net loss of £42,984 for the year to September 30 after making a net profit of £3005 the year before. The main cause of the loss was a fault that developed in a Dutch-made unit for absorption-type refrigerators. This was a concealed fault which did not show itself till after it was in operation Westco Products. Ltd. was in no way responsible. The manufacturers in Holland accepted liability for the fault and accepted a claim for £38,000 to compensate the company. But the fault showed itself in units supplied to the Dutch domestic market and extensive export markets. The resulting heavy claims forced the Dutch company into liquidation.[8] They did not recover from this financial loss and were liquidated in June 1957. [9]
[1] New Zealand Herald 11 Aug 1922, Page 2.
|
This manufacturer was suggested by Gary Cowans.
Country | Year | Name | 1st Tube | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
NZ | 50 | WESTCO Portable 40 | DF91 | 5 valve, AC, or battery power superhet with an RF stage. Cabinet has molded plastic fro... |
NZ | 46 | Yale 16 | 6A8G | 5-valve broadcast band superhet. |
NZ | 46 | Dover 16 | 6A8G | 5-valve broadcast band superhet. |
NZ | 50 | Westco 47 | 1T4 | 5-valve broadcast band superhet portable radio with an RF stage. Only schematic known t... |
NZ | 45 | Westco 117 | 6SG7 | 7-valve world band superhet with bandspread, an RF stage, and magic eye tuning indica... |
NZ | 48 | Empire 126 | 6K8 | 6-valve world band superhet with bandspread and magic eye tuning indicator. B... |
NZ | 48 | Westco 137 | Vibrator | 5-valve DC-powered world band superhet with bandspread and magic eye tuning indi... |
NZ | 46 | 17 | 6A8GT | 5-valve broadcast band superhet. Schematic only to date. |
NZ | 46 | Westco 39 | 7B7 | 5-valve broadcast band superhet car radio with an RF stage. Model 39 is a six-valve sup... |
NZ | 45 | Westco 107 | 6SG7 | 9-valve world band superhet with an RF stage and push-pull output. Only schematic known... |
NZ | 45 | Pathfinder 116 | 6SK7 | 7-valve world band superhet with bandspread, an RF stage, and magic eye tuning indica... |
NZ | 48 | Westco 127 | 6-valve world band superhet with bandspread and magic eye tuning indicator. &... |
Further details for this manufacturer by the members (rmfiorg):
Data Compliance | More Information |