Lotus Motorola Radio Cassette - The Complete Reference

[Matt-watts]

Paul asked me what stereo was in an S1 Esprits, I remembered some sharp one, but I didn’t really know why I thought that, so I sent Jake on a research mission. He went off looking at the Lotus Esprit build sheets we have on microfilm and then also looking at the Lotus service letters we got when I brought out dealerships. Jake came up pretty blank and suggested we called my friend Andy at the Lotus Archives,  Andy said as we had surmised almost no S1 had a factory fitted stereo maybe only in factory demonstrators. We discussed that would have been with a Philips turnolock as they had loads left over from the Elan and Europa days and Philips lie ins would have still been in place, but they would have been very old fashioned for 1976. He suggested tracing what Lotus aftersales would have advised the dealership to fit. Jake next visited my friend now in his late 70s who owned my local lotus dealership in the 1970s, He came back with two sharp[MI1]  radios (RG-5800x RG-2800p) under his arm (and a head full of stories). Next I sent Jake in the roof to get down the box of car radios I have, it’s got all the radios I have taken out of the cars I have owned or restored. I’ve owned over 20 s1 and s2 Esprits so I knew I had a few.

 Other than my first car a Mini, I’ve only ever had Lotus cars so they could have only come out of a dealership I brought out, or a Lotus I brought. This is what I had (Picture one)

 

Next Jake looked at all the pictures we had taken over the years of S1 and S2 esprits, I’ve amassed a large database, and so many still had the sharp. What’s sad to me is the original sharp that came in my 1^st S1 that the mice had eaten the buttons off I  gave it away (can’t remember who to) as its not in my stereo box. (Picture two)

Last week I set about testing and repairing the radios I have and they all seem to have had the drive belt disintegrated with age I ordered and fitted some 59mmx1.5mm SS  drive belts from ebay (£2.75) and they all worked very well. I brought a little box off amazon that the radio tunes into and pairs with your phone so you can play a tape, the radio or sound from your phone via bluetooth and that worked really well and I’m impressed what a great sound the little sharps have. Anyway to  sum up, Jakes research has taught me that almost all radios seemed to have been fitted at dealers. Lotus after sales recommended the Sharp but any radio could have been favoured buy the dealer or the 1^st owner.

S1 and early S2 build sheets have no provision for even if a radio was fitted so if it wasn’t in the comments box there is no record and there was little feedback from the dealers to what they fitted and mostly even what reg the car got issued from DVLA.

The Sharp radios were very popular back in the day so now they are cheap as chips, readily available the tape is the correct way round to get it in with the gear stick position and they sound very good.

The models I seem to have ended up with are the RG-5800x RG-2800p (just tape) and the RG-5800e they are all dated 1975 or 1976

I have no interest or knowledge on what was in anything after Esprit S2 (1979) but it seems Toshiba Panasonic and Blaupunkt ratios became common.

Speaking to as many 1^st owners as I could, they all seemed to have the same opinion. Back in the day Car Radio was a very big thing and anything that went loud was cool, especially if it be heard over the sound of the engine a full chat….. 😊

Hope this helps somebody

Matt and Jake

[Matt-watts]

This is what the dealer fit radio suppression kit looked like.

[Bazza 907]

And fitted to a car

[Rudi K]

According to Radio Museum, the Sharp RG-5800 radio cassette was manufactured in 1978/9 and the RG-5850 around 1980. This seems consistent with Matt’s account of the Sharp often being fitted to new S1 and S2 Esprits by Lotus dealerships.

 

I sent off the Sharp RG-5850 from JPS Esprit #40 to be refurbished by Steve at Revive Car Audio. He also fitted a socket that can take an auxiliary line input direct from an iPhone/iPod, as an alternative to the radio/cassette. This avoids signal degradation and gives a good quality sound output, limited only by my tired aftermarket speakers. (Bluetooth was another option.)

 

My challenge remains to track down the crossover unit as originally used (in the JPS) to split the RC output between the two door mounted speakers and the single under dashboard woofer. (My unit seems to be missing.) Then it could be back to the full 1970s sound experience…!

[GTK]

On 21/01/2021 at 12:34, Matt-watts said:

 

 

Hi Matt, thanks for all the info. Bottom left of the photo above looks like a Motorola unit of the family that the "LT" units seem to have been. It would be interesting to know the model number on that one.

I also got my car with a Sharp unit fitted [RG9150] but Andy Graham wrote that the build record for it shows a Motorola unit being fitted at the factory. I made the jump to it being Lotus branded it seems, but maybe the one you have is a factory fitted Motorola!?

[Matt-watts]

I think your right George, I think the Lotus branded one also came later, I will ask Jake to look into our S2 archive and see if he come up with any more, we have never seen one in a S1. This is what my motorola looks like. It would have been old fashioned in the mid 70s not having FM, also the tape would have been hard to get in and out.

Matt

[GTK]

I think you're right and the Lotus branded ones were an '80's unit, but they look identical save for having the extra band, designated 'U' rather than 'FM'. To be honest I doubt the tape orientation would have been a consideration. Yours is definitely of the same family of radio cassette's as the later FM unit with 'Lotus' on the fascia, so likely the fabled LT551 or LT558.

[GTK]

Here’s an (overpriced) fun thing... 

https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/john-player-special-203-autoradio-new-unused/27956879

 

 

[Fridge]

I have the original instruction manual for the radio/cassette player that went into a Esprit commemorative JPS.

[GTK]

That's cool, it's not that one above though right? I mean that looks like some sort of licensed aftermarket thing.

[Fridge]

No,I don't think so. I'd have to check. As you say, I think it's a licensed model, not the JPS Esprit. Looks too modern, but still old.

[Fridge]

I have had some time to check my collection of Esprit parts and can confirm that the instruction and circuit documentation for the 'JPS' radio-cassette is in fact for a 'JPS' branded unit as part of a licensing agreement as @GTK mentioned. This I believe was fitted to the Ford Capri JPS special.

On the discussion about the Motorola LT558/LT551 units a well known specialist in adapting car Hi-Fi, and in particular the Motorola brand, has not heard of these models. So the question is has anyone have or has seen either of these two unicorns?

[Paul Coleman]

I still think the early cars had a Philips Turnolock as shown in the owner's manual...

https://ibb.co/pZC0cmV

https://ibb.co/t33QrZq

 

 

 

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by Paul Coleman

[GTK]

@Fridge  Your question is the big one, has anyone actually ever seen an LT551 or LT558? As per my original post, Motorola themselves have no record of having provided these [or any other model] to Lotus. Yet Andy Graham at Lotus finds factory fit Motorola units listed in the build records for some cars.

@Paul Coleman Philips units in early cars isn't in dispute. Far as I'm aware, those are well documented.

There seems to be a distinction made here between the Motorola and Sharp units. The latter evidently were dealer fit, while the former were [if the Lotus records are correct] factory fit items.

There was a little ray of light above when @Matt-watts and Jake went through their box of head units and came up with a Motorola unit [above] that it's possible was a factory fit. But sods law the model number seems to have been rubbed off the label!

[Fridge]

Mine has an early Philips, a 22RN512 I think. Which has the FM/MW/LW radio bands.

I'd considered installing an age appropriate Sony TC-24L which was considered more sophisticated from its 1976 launch, though not really any more feature rich. About that time came an abundance of late 1970's Pioneer units. I remember it well having camped out at my local Hi-Fi shop as a teenager, no doubt driving the sales assistants crazy.

A Blaupunkt MR21 Hamburg has also been in the frame for installing in my car, having been considered the unit of choice for discerning Porsche owners, but it's from 1980, and a bit too late for my car.

The Philips unit will be upgraded with Bluetooth streaming and other nifty features over the winter, ready for next spring.

As far as the Motorola units shown so far in this thread these have been far more modern than I'd expect the fabled LT551 or LT558 units. Coming from around 1980 by the looks of them. Whereas I'd expect them to look like the chromed buttoned Motorola radios that were installed from the early to mid-1970's or so. Hence my question.

Certainly by the very late 1970's radio-cassette units were becoming more modern looking (by today's standards), with Sharp coming to the fore more and more. Until Kenwood and Alpine took the mantle of the most prized popular ICE installation for the yuppie generation of cars.

[910Esprit]

9 hours ago, Fridge said:

my local Hi-Fi shop as a teenager

Were you still local to the Tees area in the 70's?   My dad was the owner of 'McKenna & Brown'.  Had a very successful branch in Redcar.   Not so easy to imagine these days...      

[Fridge]

1 hour ago, 910Esprit said:

Were you still local to the Tees area in the 70's?   My dad was the owner of 'McKenna & Brown'.  Had a very successful branch in Redcar.   Not so easy to imagine these days...      

Oh wow! I absolutely lived in their Stockton shop every Saturday.

I used to visit their Darlington and Middlesbrough shops too. I remember drooling over a Sony radio-cassette TV unit which was £175 I think. Whilst researching this topic I found a video of one being demonstrated. What memories!

My local shop was Gilson Audio, which for some reason had a great selection of car radio-cassette units. Lots of Pioneers. They provided my mid-week and alternate Saturday Hi-fi fix.

I didn't know that McKenna & Brown had a Redcar shop. Too far and unnecessary to travel to in a 1967 Ford Anglia, but coincidentally I live about 5 miles from there now.

AMAZING.

Edited November 9, 2022 by Fridge

[910Esprit]

2 hours ago, Fridge said:

I didn't know that McKenna & Brown had a Redcar shop

Glad to help with the memories!  There was also a lesser-known branch in Bishop Auckland too!   Gilson Audio was an ex-employee.   Seem to recall his shop was originally on Borough Road or Southfield Road.   Many older locals seem to have fond memories, as this was in the days before the lowest common denominator out of town shopping.

[Fridge]

19 minutes ago, 910Esprit said:

Glad to help with the memories!  There was also a lesser-known branch in Bishop Auckland too!   Gilson Audio was an ex-employee.   Seem to recall his shop was originally on Borough Road or Southfield Road.   Many older locals seem to have fond memories, as this was in the days before the lowest common denominator out of town shopping.

I didn't know that. Gilson Audio was a good shop, the one in Billingham was the most local to me, though I may have been to the one in Middlesbrough on occasion I'm not sure.

McKenna & Brown added class to the shopping experience. A visit always a highlight in my early teenage years.

Edited November 9, 2022 by Fridge

[PhilW]

Hi guys

I have a Motorola "Lotus "radio.  Andy Graham confirmed that my '84 car had one fitted when new.  I searched long and hard and found one.  Never seen another before or since.  Part number A089M6027F