Hotpoint History - Filling a gap in the 70s

[liberator1509]

At least one 45 year old English Electric Liberator survives

This a great story - I wonder how much longer this machine will last?

Thanks to Jamie for confirming the detail about the fire at Hotpoint - I knew I'd heard about that before, and the new info about the 1600 is really great too. Even if the fire hadn't occured, the Morphy Richards and English Electric laundry brands would have been dropped - Lord Weinstock's guiding principle for GEC was rationalisation, so product duplication had to be cut. It's a shame Hotpoint didn't keep the Liberator term alive for longer though.

I read somewhere that at some stage before the GEC merge, AEI and English Electric had an agreement where AEI built washers for both, and EE built cooking appliances - from the mid 60s- is anyone out there able to confirm that story?

As a modern twist - I wonder what's happening with GE appliances in the US - will Indesit make a move? If they did, Hotpoint would become a global brand!

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/live...r-old-washer-is-just-soap-er-100252-20432758/

 

[keymatic]

Hi Seamus, I have have an English Electric washer and dryer stacked on top of one another, the first pair that came out (Select-a-fabric) mid 50's. The washer is one of the first no-bolt washers that hit the market back then.
Cheers
Keith

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint

Hi Jamie, welcome, great information, interesting about how it came to be, have you ever worked on this machine?? when you say suspended from four shock absorbers, were the shock absorbers attached to the top of the machine frame?? or where they underneath like an asko etc?? it would explain a lot of the thrashing about stories it it was suspended from the top etc...

Paul, that Servis 311 is something else isnt it!! I wonder how many where sold etc?? and how many people bought this who might have had the previous Servis toploaders!!

Keith, dont tease us we need pics, pics, pics!! do they both work?? are they fully restored & how did you come to get them??

My great aunt & uncle had the English Electric reversomatic set, big doors, they where in an outhouse and where raised on a brick n concrete slab, I remember seeing them on a visit with my gran when I was 8 and was mesmerised by them, as my gran had the Hotpoint Empress & mum the Servis twinny you could imagine why!!!