Possibly my first vintage Hotpoint!

[HooverJames]

Hi all,

It may be a year or two before I get it but I'm first in line when it's ready to move out. I was on work experience with my local appliance repair service and my employer has a lovely Hotpoint "New Generation" 9550 Microtronic! It's like brand new, no cracked panels and sidestrips all intact. He put new bearings in it and it is in excellant working order and not in use however he does not want to part with it yet but we will keep in touch. As far as I know it is the exact same as Paul and Rob's machine bar the model number. The model was sold since 1983 too so I think it was the export model? Is it 1000rpm spin too? Date code 87 means it was built March 1985. No pics sorry.

James.

 

[matchboxpaul]

Excellent find James.

Very nice machine to add to your collection in the fullness of time.
Deffo keep in touch with him and hope that your work experience kept you entertained.

The 9550A or W (A=Almond and W=White) was the model replacement for the 98840 and 95842 and incorporated a Time Delay function over the 840/842. It carried over the 840/842 1000rpm spin speed.

No export model about the 9550 - it was Hotpoints top of the front loader range, before the arrival of the Microprofile.

Date code 87 deffo refers to March 85 - the 9550A&W and 9900A&W washer dryer ushered in the new numbering system a year before the arrival of the rest of the Next Generation machines, in the form of the 9510 Electronic 800 Plus, 9520 Electronic 800 De Luxe, 9530 Electronic 1000 Plus, 9540 Electronic 1000 De Luxe and the 9560 Microprofile 1300 De Luxe, all of which arrived on the scene in April 1986 (May 86 for the Microprofile).

Good find.
Paul
p.s you will be pleased to know James that the 9550A&W first rolled off the production line in.......March 1985! Your find is one of the first batch of 9550's!!!!!

 

[matchboxpaul]

New or Next Generation?

Though numbered as a 'Next Generation' machine, the 9550 was all 'New'.

It lasted until June 1986, when the Microtronic was given a facelift to become the 'Next Generation' version model 9551A&W.
This machine boasted the brown/dark bronze door trim and lost three buttons off its facia, ushering in an altogether more bland facia style.

Piccy of the 9551 below...

 

[HooverJames]

Hi Paul,

Thank's for clearing that up. Is it definately a thoroughbred New Gen? I take it I'm the only one who will have one preserved in these Isles as I haven't seen much appear in the Search-o-lator under 9550. I won't be letting it slip away anyway if it's one of the first. My employer has only seen one over here too so it is a rare machine when you think about it. I know they come and go over there.

Hopefully it will be mine in a year or so. I will be in steady contact with him.

James.

P.S. Machine is 9550A which makes it even more eyecatching and rarer since Almond didn't really take off over here until the late 80's.

 

[HooverJames]

Answered my question before I asked... Thank's Paul!