Muhammad Ali had a record player that played 45 rpm records built into his automobile. In the 60s, Norelco "Auto Mignon" only held one 45 rpm record at a time, for 4½ minutes of play, potentially distracting the driver with the need for multiple record changes.
Consumer Reports claims the Norelco players were able to keep the needle on the record while driving and that the needle performance was "unaffected by rough roads, car sway, and sharp braking." However, "a steady stylus had its price, wearing down the records from the high pressure required to keep it in place. And the RCA unit's turntable ran fast, speeding up records," according to CR. In addition, there was nowhere to put the vinyl since the Norelco didn't store any records, as the RCA model did.
Car record players soon made way for the eight-track tape deck. In September 1965, the Ford Motor Company introduced factory-installed and dealer-installed eight-track tape players as an option on three of its 1966 models (the sporty Mustang, luxurious Thunderbird, and high-end Lincoln), and RCA Victor introduced 175 Stereo-8 Cartridges from its RCA Victor and RCA Camden labels of recording artists catalogs.
🖊️ African American History
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