History Car Phones 1957

I was just looking at a "little book", October 1957 Custom Cars, an article with several installations of T.V.s, phonographs, and telephones. The caption only states,"Phone is also a legitimate unit... detailed by C.A. Hall Upholstery Shop of Oakland, Ca". Were car phones functional/practical back then? The research I've done has resulted in somewhat ambiguous results, anyone else have info?

 

I think they worked, but only good for booty calls over to the passenger seats.

 

i've heard there were some that worked over VHF radio bands, but nothing like todays, more like a 2 way radio with a phone attached

 

here's a link to wiki, yes they did exist they say the first one that could locate a phone network existed as far back as 1950 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mobile_phones

 

they where basicaly the cb radio of the day

 

Elvis' "gold" cadillac had a phone and t.v....somewhere in my photo books i have a pic of it that I snuck while at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

 

Somewhere I have (had?) the "in the trunk" unit from an early 50s mobile phone, about 12" x 12" x 24" and weight around 40 lbs.

Progress.

 

I remember seeing phones in cars "back when" in the hot rod mags.

Usually, they looked like your average home wall phone.
Possibly some worked, but I would guess not many - most
were probably just for looks. Rather futuristic then.

Police cars and taxis had those old "big box" Motorola units
in the trunk. Times certainly have changed.....only this
afternoon I was riding down the highway (as a passenger)
and making calls on my cell phone. The future has pretty
much arrived.

 

A relative of mine back around late 50s..early sixtes worked for Motorola in Chicago, He had a "phone" in his car.
Like 440 says...a modified two way..similar to a Taxi Cab radio. This was in Chicago so the repeaters were pretty well spaced.
The guts were trunk mounted..tubes and heat and a fair amp draw I'd guess.

He used to brag about getting on the police frequency..listen only...could have been Taxi for all I know. I was about 10-12 years old.

 

I had a car phone in the early 70's. It wasn't much more than a two way radio. You would pick up the handset and wait for a break. The mobile operator would ask YOUR phone number first.. Then the number you wanted to call. You could pick up your handset and listen to other calls. Mobile party line.. It was cool back then.. Like a buck a min. though...

 

You can always do a modern version

 

Now call me dumb ass but ive never seen that!
2 b honest i'd prefer doin that (hiding the mobile of course) than having a dummy phone in there!
Where do i get it?

 

Try your local 'photoshop' ...

 

Banacek had one in his car. he never dialed a number, but talked to a mobile operator and she connected him...so i always assumed it was just a radio

 

The old T.V. show?

 

yeah , that's what i was talking about...the short lived TV show from the early 70's

 

Of course, any phone installed in a traditional hot rod must be rotary dial. We're supposed to be getting new work cell phones soon. I told them that they needed to get me a rotary dial cell phone as a reasonable accomodation for an old geezer.

 

traditional H.A.M.B. friendly phone, complete with patina

 

The phones HAD to work, does anyone remember the old Matt Helm (DeanMartin) movies he pushed a button on his T-bird and out of his trunk popped a fully functioning apartment with all the amenities. If that could happen phones would be easy....HAHA

 

Or try your local "Thinkgeek shop"
Heres a link to it.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/7830/

I was actually thinking about getting one a do some funky holder for it. You could even use a gutted base of a real phone to hold it.

 

here's where I got mine;

http://www.novophone.com/categories/Shop-for-Novophone®--Retro-Handsets-/

Then got a general electric hook cradle off egay , cut it down , screwed it to the dash . It's never fallen off either.(and is gonna get red kandy)



The cellphone is vecroed behind the heater;





It ain't perfect,but I have a working phone on the dash.There's a push button on the handset to answer calls,but you'd have to stop & pull the cellphone from its hiding place to make one
Paul

 

Watson had one in the Grapevine.....it was hooked up to the AM radio......said it was for the gal to listen to while the guys were BS ing

 

Here's my son talking to his hamster from an Ericophone.

 

>>>>>,Back in the '70's ,,I werked for a Communications Co. selling mobil phones ,,they werked using a UHF repeater on top of various CO-OP grain bin silos,all over central Iowa,,,we had a touch tone pad on the two way radio,,only 24 people per channel ,,if no body was talking two way ,,you pushed a button to get a dial tone ,,and dialed your number ,,everybody on that channel could hear your conversation ,,so you had to be careful of what you talked about ,,the brain for em was a BIG heavy box that went in the trunk ,,,i sold em for $3300 bucks a unit ,,so most that bought em were businesses/farmers/or self employed ,like real estate agents,,you had a choice of a handset or just a microphone & the speaker in the two way radio,,before the CELL thing came about ,,i sold a few thousand of em

 

Thinkgeek only had the wireless model available, so I just ordered one of these.

 

I know "Madman" Muntz (Muntz Jet) had a telephone in his own car in the early-mid fifties, and sold and installed them as well.

 

THose adaptors for the cells phones are pretty cool. I wouldn't put one in my hot rod personally, but I would use it at home..

 

Here is the one that I run in my '51 Merc...It is one of the koolest things that
I have done to my Merc. It would be kool if it worked but so would my gas gauge.
Phones are kool!!

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

Make sure you buy the adapters,in case you wanna change cellphones in future
Paul

 

Good point.