Philips Turbostar

[keymatic]

Dear All,
A lady recently sent me a user guide to a machine that I don't think was on the market very long, it's for a Philips "Turbostar" single tub washer.

My only reference to this washer was a single page advert I have for the same machine but sold under the Stella brand and dates from 1962 aprx

I am trying to contact the lady to see if she still has the machine and will update in due course.

Cheers
Keith

 

[matchboxpaul]

New one on me Keith.
Never knew of a Philips Turbostar - will have to go and peruse the pages of Which, to see if it was ever listed there. That is assuming that this machine is from 1957 or after.

Keep us updated.
Paul
p.s can you re-upload the picture via the upload box, rather than the new fangled method, to create a better uploaded image? Are those big pull switches on the machine - like on a countess, but in a stack? Difficult to tell.

 

[keymatic]

Hi Paul, new one on me as well, i think it dates from about 1962-3 ish.
I have taken a quick pic of the control(s) page.
I think the bar controls turn and not lift like levers on the Countess.
Will let you know how i get on
Cheers
Keith

 

[vacbear58]

Philips

Keith

This is conjecture on my part but did Philips not take over the old Ada factory? It could be therefore that this was actually a late model Ada rebadged. I think it must have been around 1962/63 the Top Twin was introduced (judging by the Persil ad showing one) so I doubt this wringer washer would have been around for long. In some ways its a shame that which did not do any further wringer washer tests apart from a small update in 1960 after their main report in 1958.
Al

 

[keymatic]

Hi Al,
Yep, Philips took over the old "ada" factory / Ajax company. Philips became a major shareholder in 1960 and took over fully in 1965.
The 1st twin tub the "Top Twin" was launched in 1962 and as you say the single tub was probably a restyled single tub originally designed by Ada.
I found the advert i have for the Stella Neptune, the same machine. Now did Stella come before Philips or in between ? as the advert dates from Dec 1962.
Cheers Keith

 

[electron1100]

Philips/Stella

I know years ago Philips had a massive showroom in Shaftesbury Avenue, and also that Any Stella Audio equipment was re-badged Philips equipment

Gary

 

[chestermikeuk]

Ada / Stella / Philips

Nice work there Keith, lets hope its a real life model...the Stella wringer looks a morph of the Ada, could be a natural progression to the Philips although never come across any!!

Here`s a link to the Ada / Philips museum exhibits that we just missed out on visiting last year, all booked for this year!!

 

[keymatic]

Hi Mike..it does have some characteristics of the Ada machines, like the wringer etc, i hope the lady still has it!
Ohh i went there recently while i was in Halifax for work. The CIMA (calderdale industrial museum association)? They have some good machines including one of these Philips single tubs.
Hope you manage to get there as they only open on special when the council lets them.
Cheers
Keith

 

[vacbear58]

Stella

Wow, did not even know there was the museum in Halifax.

Stella was another brand name for Philips and there were also TVs under than name as well and I THINK at least one fridge as well - Philips also sold fridges and freezers well into the 1980s and possibly the 1990s too.

There was also a Stella Twin tub in 1964, which seems to be a more basic version of the Philips although it does not appear in the 1966 Which Twin Tub report

Al

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Keith.
Many thanks for the bigger pictures - that Stella certainly forms the basis of the Philips Turbostar. A very interesting find in the Turbostar - thanks for sharing and do keep us updated.

OMG - Halifax! Thought that the ADA collection was wonderful, but the presence of those Philips machines pretty much makes it a certainty that these were/are the official Philips UK collection. Wonderful that they were kept and are being shown off in a museum - as opposed to another manufacturers collection left in a derelict building, another manufacturers collection rumoured to have been dumped in a skip when the company was taken over and another manufacturers collection sadly lost in the mists of time.
Well done Philips/Whirlpool/Crosslee/White Knight .... or whoever it was who kept them and placed them in the museum.

Did they have a blue range front loader, Keith? Any dishwashers?

Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Stella twin tub from '64 ....

Here is the Philips EA5402 Top Twin Super - certainly the basis of the Stella Gemini ....

 

[matchboxpaul]

p.s and blimey - they have a TopStar in Halifax too!

 

[chestermikeuk]

Philips Halifax...

High Keith, great pics, so glad you got to see the museum, it looks a steel - I must work harder @ the greasing of palms tecnique to gain an entry....

Nowthen, instead of teasing do tell us what's their and models etc....what agitator does the Ada twinny have?

 

[keymatic]

Hi Mike,

It was really uncanny that I managed to be in Halifax working when they had their open day, I would keep an eye on their website as they can only open when the council gives them access, as the museum is still under council control which they are trying to gain full access on a permanent basis.

The machines they had which i could see where the 6 Ada machines..(4 wringer washers / 1 twin tub / 1 crosslee dryer) on the Philips side they had 1 wringer washer / 1 twinny / Top star / Slimstar and about 3 other front loaders from the late 60 through to the 80's.

The agitator on the Ada was the same as the Coronation model, basic 4 vane small type. Nearly all the agitator retaining nuts were missing, i think these must have been taken out to stop the kids fiddling with them

Cheers
Keith

 

[chestermikeuk]

Philips Wringer

Keith, isn't that the wringer washer you asked about at the start of this thread the one you took the photo of in the Halifax museum?

The ago looks very Servis like,

 

[keymatic]

Hi Mike,
Yep it is the same machine, when the lady sent me the user manual, i had never seen one and then recently saw the same machine at CIMA, I was more curious about the link to Stella.
It would be really rare to find one of these wringer washers as only 40k made and production only ran between 1962-1963.
Keith

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Keith.
Thanks for the photos.
The wringer machine that the museum have appears to be a later version possibly of the machine you have the manual for, judging by the more modern looking temperature dial.
In the information write up, attached to the front of the machine, is the museum machine described as a 'Turbostar'?

It really is a grand collection of machines that the museum has - thank goodness.

Any more info on the front loaders that they have? Any of the slant front Philips models at all?

Paul