The first commercially successful car radio was introduced in 1930 by Galvin Manufacturing, which named it Motorola — combining “motor” and “Victrola”. It was so successful that the company later renamed itself Motorola. From there, in-car audio evolved through FM radio, the 8-track tape, cassettes, CD players, satellite radio and finally smartphone integration like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Today’s luxury cars carry audio systems with dozens of speakers engineered by names like Burmester, Bowers & Wilkins and AKG.

Timeline

Year Milestone
1930 Motorola car radio
1950s FM radios appear in cars
1965 8-track tape players in Ford cars
1970s–80s Cassette decks
1985 CD players in cars
2001 Satellite radio
2014 Apple CarPlay

The Motorola radio

Early car radios were bulky and expensive, and installing one could cost a significant share of the car’s price. Galvin’s Motorola was more practical and became popular despite concerns from some officials that radios would distract drivers — an early version of today’s distracted-driving debates.

Tapes and CDs

Ford offered the 8-track tape player in 1965, bringing music on demand to cars. Cassettes, smaller and recordable, replaced 8-tracks in the 1970s and 1980s. CD players appeared in the mid-1980s, bringing digital sound.

Satellite and streaming

Satellite radio launched in the U.S. in 2001, offering nationwide stations. Bluetooth, USB and eventually CarPlay and Android Auto turned the car’s screen into an extension of the phone.

Premium audio

Luxury cars now feature audio systems designed with specialist brands and dozens of speakers. Read premium car audio: Burmester, Bowers & Wilkins, AKG.

In a chauffeured car

Passengers can usually connect their phones via Bluetooth or ask the chauffeur for a preferred station — or silence. Read quiet rides and conversation.