National Panasonic Picture thread.

[arrrooohhh]

Greetings Friends! Another picture thread for those interested in compact Japanese washers.

 

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National from the late 70's

 

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Same but with only water level control.

 

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Poor money shot. Sorry.

 

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Another one.

 

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Early 80's.

 

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This one has a plastic tub.

 

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Westinghouse 333.

These machines also wore Westinghouse badges. This is the 333 mode.

 

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Money shot! Note the black pulsator in this one.

 

[a440]

Very cool pictures!
Thank you!
I knew Panasonic / National were making washers....never thought I would see pictures. Thank you.
Did they offer dryers also?
Brent

 

[arrrooohhh]

This was sold in Australia as a Westinghouse and made in Japan. So I assume this one was made my National/Panasonic too.

 

[rp2813]

I remember when I bought various Panasonic electronic products in the 70's that they included informational literature on other Panasonic and National products, washers among them.

In the halcyon days of the heavy tank-like center dial Maytags, the Japanese washers seemed like toys in comparison. Interesting to see that some of them still survive.

I sometimes see National badged small appliances at thrift stores. We have a National rice cooker that must be at least 30 years old, and it refuses to die.

 

[streakers]

Love them!

Any videos Ash?

 

[mistereric]

That tiny dryer is AWESOME!

 

[jetcone]

Love the tub colors

We'rent those sold over here under the GE label??? Heavy little machines.

 

[arrrooohhh]

Hi Streakers, I dont have any vids, the pictures are ones I have saved over the years, though I would love to have one, I think in my new garage I have room to stash one away.

But look on youtube there are different videos of these sort of machines.

Hi Jetcone, the GE machines were based on Hitachi, which I will do as my next picture thread.

 

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Mid size National.

 

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Money shot, this still has the small diameter spinning pulsator.

 

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National Panasonic Microprocessor control. Mid 80's onwards.

 

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Money shot. This design moved to the planetary gearbox and large diameter pulsator.

 

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Close up of the controls.

 

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Also available with rear controls.

 

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Rear control version also available in a Westinghouse version.

 

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Westinghouse 520 touch control panel.

 

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Panasonic touch control twin tub. A very interesting beast.

 

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Money shot

 

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Hope you enjoyed these pictures. I will do Hitachi and GE next.

 

[electroslumber]

My mini top loading Wilkins Servis is Japanese

I've just joined. I'm a diehard Simpson Fluid Drive fan. But I play around with everything. I have a most unusual Wilkins Servis top loader that is either made by National or Hitachi, from Sth Aust. Has anyone seen one or is anyone familiar?

 

[electroslumber]

1972 baby Westinghouse made by Matsushita & Simpson fluid dr

Hi everyone! I have a real soft spot for the "small" dryers. The first Simpson compact probably holds the record for being the heaviest "per cubic centimetre" clothes dryer ever made. The LARGE Simpson (companion to the fluid drives) tumble dryers are heavy but the 1970 compact is out there as far as weight goes. I have just de fluffed my 1972 Japanese compact WESTINGHOUSE and can confirm the use of NATIONAL MATSUSHITA components. It really is a miniature commercial Laundromat Westinghouse in appearance. Very robust mechanically, I know of one that has been in continual weekly operation since 1973. The owners claim it developed a rusty base in its early years, this is cosmetic, to my knowledge it has not even had a belt changed. This is truly remarkable. I might add that the largest installations (in Sydney)of Fully Automatic Simpson Fluid Drives and tumble dryers were in the luxury home unit buildings at Woollahra and Darling Point. They were definitely not common as they were expensive. In 1958 the washer/dryer combo cost 325 pounds. The most expensive model Simpson ever made was the A39 1963/4 coming in at a whopping 235 pounds ($470) keeping in mind that a base EH Holden cost 1000 pounds, a run down house in Newtown/Redfern/Erskineville on a small block 500-1000 pounds and a luxury apartment at Woollahra as much as 30,000. Sydneys first luxury highrise building (21 storeys & built in 1962/3) 8-14 Fullerton Street Woollahra had a laundry on every floor and was mainly Simpson equipped. I have not visited it for some years, however there were still Simpson dryers on some floors. Meanwhilst up in Darling Point, there was Winslow Gardens (C.1960) at 66 Darling Point Road, Eastbourne (C.1965) 16-18 Eastbourne Road, All buildings with Simpson Fluid Drives and dryers on most floors. I doubt very much whether there would be any surviving in 2010.

 

[arrrooohhh]

Hi Paul.

I have a Simpson Fluid Drive too. It sits in my garage not doing anything, because I have neither the skill nor time to restore it, but I just love it so much and remember that it was always an impressive machine when I saw it in people's laundries as a child.

Leon has many Fluid Drives and he has just set up a most impressive display.

This Wilkins Servis you have is Toshiba based if I remember correctly and it was reviewed in Choice 1979. I think they disappeared altogether not long after that.

The Westinghouse you have sounds most interesting and in keeping of the theme of this thread, please post a picture of it. I would love to see it.