Willow Green Iconic Tri-Star 1955 Arvin Model 855T Vacuum Tube AM Radio Unique Design in Rare Color!
DESCRIPTION: Tabletop tube AM radio manufactured by Arvin in 1955 in very good working and physical condition in a rare original color. This is one of Arvin's most desirable designs. Iconic instantly recognizable with memorable Mercedes Benz-like star! There is no affiliation between Arvin and Mercedes Benz. The similarity is coincidental. History tends to reward risk taking and this radio design is an example of that.
SOUND QUALITY: Picks up AM stations clearly and loudly up and down the dial. There is mysterious motorboating and poor reception around 550-600 KHz. The radio sounds great at all other frequencies.
CABINET CONDITION: This radio is molded Bakelite that was painted willow green at the factory. There are paint scratches, dings, and discoloration areas throughout. It is not repainted no touch up no overspray. Little diamond shape front protrusion is a actually a working tuning light! No cracks on the cabinet. A few of the front raised diamonds are chipped off. All the dial numbers are crisp and clear no flaking. There is some minor rust and staining behind the gold tuning ring. No missing ink, smudges, or rub-off on dial lettering.
KNOBS: Factory original plastic volume knob. The replacement gold tuning works fine and smooth no slipping. The tuning pointer is made of a hefty piece of solid steel factory painted gold. Volume On Off switch works fine. The tuning dial works fine. No slipping. Dial light lights up.
DIAL LIGHT: Works and lights up brightly. Replaced with modern LED for added brightness and long life.
INTERNAL ELECTRONICS: All paper and wax capacitors have been replaced with modern equivalents so this radio has another 50+ years or more of playing time! The tubes are working fine. Both Intermediate Frequency Transformers (IFTs) have been rebuilt to ensure static-free performance. All out-of-spec resistors have been replaced with modern correct value and voltage equivalents. There is no loud or pervasive hum. There is no loud or pervasive static between stations. The set has been aligned according to factory specifications. The radio has been thoroughly cleaned and inspected. All wiring has been thoroughly checked for possible bridging and weak solder connection. Comes from non-smoking, mature, clean professional environment.
FACTORY LABELS: Bottom factory label is intact.
LOGOS: Arvin letter logo at the bottom right corner is in excellent condition no chipped letters.
BACKING BOARD: Factory original backing board is missing.
POWER CORD: The original power cord and plug are in excellent working condition with no cracks, or splits. No exposed wiring.
DIMENSIONS: Approximately 12" x 5.5" x 6" (l x w x h)
WEIGHT: Approximately 4 lbs.
COLOR: willow green
YOUTUBE Video here
ADD BLUETOOTH: See pricing and info here
ADD Smart Speaker: See pricing and info here
ADD DIAL LIGHT: See pricing and info here
Webpage menu of upgrade services here
Product: antique radio, vintage radio, retro radio, vacuum tube radio, AM radio, art deco, mid-century product.
Category: radio
Cabinet construction: Bakelite
Period: 1950s
Country of manufacture: USA
Electronics: Mounted circuit board or chassis. Vacuum tube circuit.
Vacuum tubes: tested and working. Amplifier, converter, detector, pre-amplifier, rectifier