Evolution of Hotpoint through UK Catalogues

[robm]

Hi all, this time Hotpoint through the 70s-90s. Starting in the early 70s with the square door 1100rpm automatic, quite ahead of its time and extremely rare.

The classic purple machines start around the early to mid 70s and end in 1979. It was around this time the door shape changed and purple went more brown or grey.

1984 was an interesting year with various styles appearing together. The chrome door New Gens came in (my favorite) but also some new style brown doors with chunky buttons. Later the chunky buttons went flat and the polar machines came in (which always went yellow). Around the late 80s you can see the Microtronic and Microprofile together (although, not in this pic).

As the 90s rolled around the design changed again with the squarer doors appearing in the late 90s. Sadly production left the UK in the early noughties and Merloni took over production.

1 - 1971 1600 - 1100rpm
2 - 1974 Thick rimmed purple design 700-800rpm (reduction from 1100rpm)
3 - 1975
4 - 1976 Zanussi style slow spin version
5, 6, 7 - 1979 - showing changes
8 - 1980
9 - 1981
10 - 1982
11 - 1983 showing Microprofile
12, 13, 14 - 1984 showing new gens and crossovers
15 - 1985
16 - 1986 new flat buttons and new microprofile
17 - 1988
18 - 1989 Microtronic still produced although Microprofile still selling
19 - 1995 Although changed the essential style is still going, lasting over 10 years
20 - 2000 new door/fascia design - the new Merloni machines are showing in a 2003 catalogue

 

[keymatic3203]

some catalogue favourites again Rob

we has the super electronic 18340 from picture 8, bought in november 1979 at the co-op department store for £179, so would have been one of the first with the brown button range. Lasted 13 years, and was still working, but had our grandparent newer 9530 when they died. Times were tight back in the 70's and we had been without a washing machine for some years, so there would have been no question of higher end models, this served us well.

Also notice in picture 4, how much more expensive the hotpoint hot and cold fill automatic is in comparison with the zanussi cold fill which was all but the same machine, though granted the fabuloue 520rpm spin speed compared with the zanussi 380rpm, did the hotpoint name really command the higher price, it seem quite a difference for little more.

Thanks for posting these.

Mathew

 

[keymatic3203]

also

the first picture shows the breadth of the laundry market, electronic motor control of the 1100 spin 1600 automatic next to a countess wringer machine.

 

[robm]

Thank you and interesting points

Thank you Mathew

Some interesting points you raise. I guess it is like today 'paying for a name'! I've got a Zanussi Lindo 300 which apart from some option differences is essentially very similar to an AEG. Yet, mine was around £289 but an AEG would be about double that. The Zanussi despite its price is pretty heavy and solid.

I hadn't really noticed the vast difference in types of machine you could buy until you mentioned it. I guess there were still a lot of people who were suspicious of front loaders. I guess there would have been a few Victorian users around in the early 70s.

Rob