This marvelous Zephyr AR-600 was made by Aiwa (アイワ) circa 1958. It is a stunning example of early Japanese transistor radio design!
The standout highlight of this radio is the beautiful gold lightning bolt with the red Zephyr logo molded into it! The Zephyr logo is written in a somewhat zany script. It also features an unusual top mounted, under-painted tuning dial. It has a delicate under-painted escutcheon above the speaker grill with a gold ‘rocket like’ dial pointer aimed valiantly at the sky — very very cool. Even the back looks classy with its vertical louvers to the side.
These Zephyr’s are made from very brittle plastic and I have yet to see an example that is not chipped.
This radio and other top end Japanese sets give credence to one of the reasons that the Japanese came to dominate the transistor radio market in the USA — superior design!
