Hoover UK Washers & Dryers - 1st Keymatic to Final Electron

[matchboxpaul]

Rare pictures of a very rare machine...

As far as I know, pictures of the next model have never been posted before on Discus O Mat and, whenever I have enquired about it, people have come back blank.

It receives hardly a mention in the Which Magazines of the era and even Hoover seemed embarrassed by it, with the machine receiving hardly a mention in their servicing literature.

Sorry about the poor quality, but they are the only pictures I have ever seen of it and they come courtesy of a poor pdf copy of the instruction manual.

the Cold fill model A2020 Automatic...

 

[matchboxpaul]

A3006 Automatic De Luxe...

 

[matchboxpaul]

A3008 Keymatic De Luxe....

 

[matchboxpaul]

D6008 Dryer De Luxe...

 

[matchboxpaul]

1976 - rare machine number 2

76 saw 2 models quickly replaced, as the marketing men decided that Hoover needed to be made 'Electronic'!
As Which Magazine says though, neither model was anymore elctronic that the machines they replaced.

As with the A2020, I think that this is the first time on Discuss O Mat that a picture of the following machine has ever been posted.
Again, as with the A2020, the following model was seldom if ever mentioned and probably never advertsied, other than within the official brochures

Still within the Aluminium Series, the replacement for the A2020 was the model A2044 Electronic 800....

 

[matchboxpaul]

The other model replaced was the A3006, whose nemesis appeared on the secene in the form of the A3058 Electronic deluxe 800.

The high model number giving a hint of the series to come...

 

[aquarius8000]

Evening Paul. A3008 is Mikes model? Wich is the rarest and most common?

Chris

 

[matchboxpaul]

1978 starts with a dose of 'New Magic'!

Another new year and another styling change was ushered in, with the arrival of the 'New Magic' series of machines.

For the cheapest machine in the range, the word 'Electronic' was dropped and the 'Automatic' returned, in the form of the A3090.

This machine was actually a precursor machine and had been introduced in 1977, before the rest of the series.
The A3090 initially appeared in the same brochure as the A3058, A3008 and D6008!

The cold fill only was dropped - the A3090 was Hot and Cold fill - and, for the first time, the cheapest model in the range received a powder drawer.

It also was supplied with different coloured inserts for the door release lever and the programmer dial cap - Aegean Gold, Tea Green and Poppy Red...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Chris.

Yep - the Keymatic of Mike's you are referring to is an A3008.

Rare or common - they are all rare exceedingly rare but, judgoing by the lack of documentation or photos or memories of them, I would say that the A2020 and A2044 are the rarest of the Aluminium Series.

Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

The 1100's arrive...

with model A3060 Electronic 1100, being the mass seller....

 

[matchboxpaul]

A3062 Keymatic 1100...

 

[matchboxpaul]

and an all new model introduced....

the A3064 Selectamatic 1100.

Basically a Keymatic, but with the keyplates being replaced by rotary dial, this model appears to have been seldom advertised and hardly ever mentioned in any official documentation.

Weird thing about this model was that you didnt pull the dial to turn the machine on, but you pushed it in, instead.

As with the A2020, the pictures below (I think I am right in saying) are the only ones people have ever seen of this machine.

Very rare!

 

[matchboxpaul]

The dryers...

and Hoover commissioned their first and possibly only ever compact dryer, courtey of Bendix.

Model D6040 Tumble dryer...

 

[matchboxpaul]

and the standard dryer, came in the form of the D6042 Dryer de Luxe...

 

[matchboxpaul]

1979...

saw the penultimate proud door machine introduced.

Model A3100 Electronic 800 replaced the A3090 Automatic.
The styling of this machine was to provide a taste of things to come!

Image courtesy of Mike's archive...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Oops

Nearly forgot the Electricity Board!

Replacing the Hoover branded exclusives, the Electricity Board had Hoover produce 3 washers and 1 dryer over 4 years.

Model A2E04 was the basic cold fill machine, the only images existing being of my own preserved example...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Model A3E02 was the standard, though prior to 1978 this was the top model...

 

[matchboxpaul]

with the arrival of the A3060 1100, in 1978, the elctricity board had to have its own derivitive.

This was in the form of the A3E08 and this is the only image I have of this model, though one can be spied on the bottom row of 'The Secret Life of the Washing Machine' pyramid...

 

[matchboxpaul]

and the matching dryer for the entire series was model D6E06.

The dryer was the only electra model to be given a descriptive title - 'dryer de luxe' - with the 3 washing machines all simply being branded 'electra'.

Models A2E04 and D6E06 (and to a large extent the A3E02) were the last machines using pure Matchbox styling.
The Matchbox facia style, introduced in 1970, finally died just after Christmas 1979/80...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Thats all for tonight - will deal with the new machines for the new decade later in the week.

Paul