The 1959 Automatic Washers

[Unimatic1140]

I just posted a copy of the May 1959 Issue of Consumer Bulletin to the Ephemera Library. It's a great article and their findings are relatively different than Consumer Reports of the same year.

This issue contains full descriptions/story, ratings, images and charts for 1959 Automatic Washers. Brands rated include:
Easy Golden Regent,
Frigidaire Fabric-Master Custom Imperial,
General Electric Filter-Flo,
Hamilton,
Hotpoint,
Kelvinator,
Push Button Lady Kenmore,
Kenmore 800,
Maytag,
Norge Dispensomat,
Philco-Bendix Automagic,
RCA Whirlpool Imperial Mark II,
Speed Queen,
Westinghouse Laundromat.

 

[panthera]

Thanks!

This was interesting - especially the (in my opinion) nonsense about Filterflo pans being inconvenient.

 

[gansky1]

It's amusing to see the comments they made about the Hotpoint washer, cycle time of 44 minutes was judged "somewhat long".

 

Maytag 142B was judged "A good washing machine without the numerous features and gadgets offered on some."   Pretty well defines Maytag from beginning to end - lol

 

(What was the Autronic Eye on the Cadillac options?  I'm guessing it wasn't a back-up camera, but at nearly 19 feet long, it would have been useful.)

 

[appnut]

I think Autronic Eye was the automatic headlight dimmer mechanism. 

 

[panthera]

The autronic eye

Was supposed to automatically dim the brights. It was too easily confused. My grandfather had his disconnected the first week.

 

[ea56]

I had a 55' Cadillac Coupe Deville in 1974 with the Autoronic Eye. The one on mine actually worked pretty good. I think there was an option to turn it off if you were driving on a 2 lane road with a lot of oncoming traffic.
Eddie

 

[norgeway]

Autronic Eye

Was to me the finest thing ever put on a car, I had 2 with them, a 63 Starfire and a 66 Sedan De Ville, LOVED THEM !You didn't need a backup camera because those cars were designed sensibly where you could actually see out of them and see all 4 corners, unlike the bubbles made today !

 

[supersuds]

Kenmore 80 looks like a huge bargain in the tests. Top rated and $100 less than most makes.

 

[akronman]

1959

I am a product of 1959, so I gotta download this NOW.
Thanks to Robert...as always.
MArk