1958 Motorola 7X23E
Coat pocket radio, leatherette-covered aluminum cabinet
5 15/16 x 3 3/4 x 2 1/8 inches / 151 x 95 x 54 mm
Seven transistors (Motorola, 2x 2N168A, 2x 2N241, 2N265, 2x 2N293), superheterodyne circuit
Four 1.5-volt AA cells
Manufactured by Motorola, Inc., Chicago, Illinois
Commonly referred to by collectors as the Motorola "Jet Wing" — this was one of many US transistor radio designs at the time that incorporated visual references to what were then new and forward-looking technologies such as jet airplanes, rockets and atomic power. Ironically, it's very unlikely that anyone in the radio industry saw at the time that the transistor device itself would turn out to be the most revolutionary technology of the century.
The 7X23E has an aluminum cabinet with a dark blue leatherette covering, a nickel-plated face and a mesh aluminum grille. Since the cabinet is metal, the antenna is housed in the radio's hefty plastic handle. Unfortunately, many examples of this and several other early Motorola transistor radio models suffered from a plastic mould that attacked the tuning dial and the tuning window housing. This example is relatively free from plastic mould.
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