TRANSISTOR RADIO DESIGN

This Mitsubishi 8X-360 Elite was manufactured in Japan circa 1960.

The name ‘Mitsubishi’ means "three diamonds" in Japanese, hence the logo. The company was originally founded shortly after the Meiji Restoration in 1868 by Yataro Iwasaki, an enterprising Samurai. By the mid 1910’s Mitsubishi was one of the largest companies in Japan, with diversified interests in heavy manufacturing, mining, real estate, banking, and trading. In order to attract investor capital, the Iwasaki family created several independent companies out of Mitsubishi's subsidiaries. Mitsubishi Electric, created in 1921, was one of them.

In 1959 Mitsubishi Electric entered the semiconductor business manufacturing transistors. In the process they added to the already severe competition amongst manufacturers Sony, Hitachi, NEC, Toshiba, Kobe Kogyo and Fuji . (Ref: ‘Competitive-cum-Cooperative Interfirm Relations and Dynamics in the Japanese Semiconductor Industry’  by Yoshitaka Okada)

This Mitsubishi Elite features a rich gold under-painted face with matching gold chevron under clear plastic!

It also features a fashionable white painted speaker grill and an ‘Elite’ cloisonné badge. The two tone electric blue/ivory cabinet color is very appealing. The combined features give this radio an elegant and polished appearance.

Mitsubishi made a number of excellent vertical transistor radios around 1960 featuring rich gold under-painted faces. This model has a swing out stand located on its base. This is an unusual feature that aids stability.

This 8X-360 uses eight Mitsubishi transistors.