last year for slant-front Westy?

[norgenocker]

I noticed the picture of the day--a 1963 Westy slant-front. (Not that I wouldn't kill to have one, or even have a chance to see one, but it looks a bit like an old lady trying to dress too young.) What year did Westinghouse drop the slant-front design and go to the flat-front? What year did the company produce its first top-loader? Thanks.

 

[golittlesport]

Last of its kind

The machine in the 1963 ad was the last of the slant-front models. The Westinghouse square cabinet front loader with side-swing door was introduced in 1964, along with the new Westinghouse-made top loader and the reintroduced front-loading Spacemates.

Westy was marketing an Easy-built top loader by 1963 when the POD slant front model was out. These Easy/Westy top loaders have to be among the rarest of machines.

The 64 line up was a dramatic redesign and I've always liked the backsplash control panels on these models.

Here is an ad from March 1964.

 

[peteski50]

Westinghouse!

I always liked these side opening door models better than the drop down door. I wish they would have kept this design.
Peter

 

[tomturbomatic]

Longtime Westinghouse owners screamed at the side-swing door. On the models with the tub light but no switch other than the door switch, the machine had to be unplugged if the door was left open to dry out the interior. The door was often in the way when open and far larger than the drop down door. The latch knob caught clothing if the wearer passed too close when the door was left closed but unlatched and that pulled the door wide open, there was nothing to unload the clothes onto, no weigh to save, etc. etc. It was our first WH and our first front loader and I thought it was a beautiful machine. We stayed in a motel in Florida that summer that had a WH coin washer and dryer in a breezeway by the ice and drink machines. The washer was the Easy TL and the dryer had a straight front and was gas with a standing pilot because I could smell the fumes.

Westinghouse made straight front machines for Wards in two sizes with drop doors shown in the MW ad in a POD . The smaller one was like the SpaceMates, but there was a larger model also and both had the three vane tub from my understanding (probably faulty) of the ad.