UK market front & top loaders 195? to 1990 - theories, queries & rarities

[matchboxpaul]

.... but by March 30th 1964, the AUTOMASTER had morphed into something visually a lot more basic.

Somewhere in March, looks like they settled on getting into bed with CASTOR and started to sell a version of the CASTOR Queenmatic instead ....

 

[matchboxpaul]

Link below to one a series of superb Italian adverts for the CASTOR Drymatic (also sold in the UK) and the new CASTOR Queenmatic ...

 

[jamiel]

Was there any particular association between GM Europe (Vauxhall/Opel) and Frigidaire appliances in Europe? Of course they were associated in the US; and we see the Frigidaire/Holden's advertisement pop up every now and again from Australia, but was there any connection? From what it appears here it was more a labelling thing (getting a full line of appliances from around the region) rather than any sort of manufacturing thing.

 

[gizmo]

In Australia, the Frigidaire washers, stoves and fridges were made by GM Holden in their Dandenong factory which also made Holden cars. We had the Pulsamatic, Multimatic washers, I don't know if we ever got Unimatics or Rollermatics. The washers were unique to Australia in detail but basically were the US technology.

I still own a round body Frigidaire washer which is, I'm told, unlike anything ever sold in the USA but uses a standard pulsamatic mechanism. It is manual control, you fill it with a hose, turn on agitation when full, switch to spin to drain and spin, then refill and manually wash again to rinse. There is no timer, just a wash-off-spin switch. Made in 1958.

The stoves were very "USA style" in that the oven was directly under the hotplates, most Australian stoves of the time have the griller (broiler) above the oven. So I'm guessing probably a US model made in Australia.

The washers used the same model names for plain or posh models - Deluxe, Custom, Imperial and so on. We also had a "Master" which was the most basic - I think it was semi-automatic - just a wash/spin switch and a clockwork 15 minute timer. I have a dashboard from one somewhere.

Now we need some Europe / UK people to chime in...

I do remember a UK advert popping up on this website which mentioned a Frigidaire washer with jet-action up and down agitator, so it must have involved some real Frigidaire technology.

 

[foraloysius]

I came across the Rex version of a Zanussi P5:

 

[alanlondon]

Thank you for sharing Louis, very interesting

 

[foraloysius]

You're welcome Alan!

But wait, there's more...

Some interesting videos about the Rex P33, even a few videos with a spin cycle.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rex+p33

 

[chestermikeuk]

Frigidaire

Hi Jamie (Jamiel) in the UK Frigidaire was a subsidiary of General Motors and designed and produced most of their own appliances or under license etc.

We had a range of Frigidaire Dri-Spin Spin Dryers designed and produced here, a Frigidaire Twintb and the very unique Frigidaire Jetamatic Top Loader like the Unimatic but had a powerful 3kw heater for the UK water supply.

Great products , the spin dryers had a big cast iron cradle which supported the heavy vitreous enamel spinner drum, many about today !!

Heres the first spinner in the video and 2nd in pics.


[this post was last edited: 11/5/2020-05:39]

 

[chestermikeuk]

Frigidaire UK

The Frigidaire Mastertwin was a family favourite as seen the the British Twintub Thread. (Killer Heels optional for use ha ha )

 

[chestermikeuk]

Frigidaire

We also had a Frigidaire Top Loading H-axis washer dryer using residual drying, this was made in France and sold here.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Frigidaire UK

And finally the elusive "Jetamatic" top loading automatic based on the Rollamatic design but with added feature of 3 kw water heater .[this post was last edited: 11/5/2020-07:53]

 

[chestermikeuk]

Rex / Zanussi P5

A great selection of videos Louis, Thanks for sharing, Sebastian Candybimatic has a lovely collection. I love this style of wshing machine having grown up with wringers and twintubs i was blown away when I saw my school friends mum who had returned from living in Germany using a H-axis single tub manual washing machine, not even semi automatic, just the simple drum with one fill / empty pipe.!!

 

[gizmo]

Jetamatic

interesting to read on page 4 of Mike's great brochure:

"Unique Simplicity.

Frigidaire's patented Roller-matic mechanism is exclusive to Frigidaire. It needs an absolute minimum of maintenance because there is so little to go wrong... etc."

 

So it looks like Rollermatic not Unimatic.

Are there any still around? I'm fascinated.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Rollermatic / Jetamatic / Unimatic

Cheers Chris glad youre hawkeye, lol, have ammended,

So the spin speed is saying pulling 191 G`s am assuming this is less than the Unimatic at 1140rpm ?

Non around that we know of alas...only ever saw the turquoise Frigidaires in the Launderettes..

Youll have to post new videos of your round Frigidaire with pipe stopper !!

 

[jamiel]

Thanks for the info--were these produced in Luton? Ellesmere Port? Some random manufacturer? The foreign re-badges I get, but I'm inferring that there was some domestic Frigidaire production...

 

[alanlondon]

Heating the water in the Jetamatic

I'm curious to know how the water was heated in the Jetamatic, it mentions 'overflow rinse' so I assume that it's a solid wash tub? In that case did it heat it's water in the base of the machine and then pump it to the tub later?

 

[chestermikeuk]

Frigidaire

Hi Jamie Frigidaire UK Domestic Appliances was a subsiduary of General Motors but a stand alone company, the factory was not linked to the car plants but its own factory & workforce in North London & Birmingham.

Nothing to do with another manufacturer and badged appliances , totally stand alone company !!

 

[chestermikeuk]

Frigidaire JetaMatic

Hi Alan as far as am aware it was solid tub with heater in base recess like Hotpoint TL ? Unless any engineers know different ? Fascination machine, never saw one or even in shops etc, mainly the spinners

 

[alanlondon]

thanks Mike

so I guess it was continually overflowing and recycling the heated water in the base to the tub?

 

[chestermikeuk]

Frigidaire Jetamatic

Hi Alan, It was a static fill & Heat , then when at righ temp you selected washtime ?

I think the overflow was only for the rinse..

Programmes are if my eyes are right:

RHS Control, Fill & Heat, Empty, Spin, Fill 1, Rinse, Off then Fill & Heat, Spin, Fill 1, Rinse, Spin Dry

LHS Programme & Temp dial - Whites Wash + PreWash, Whites Wash, Colours, Man Made Drip Dry, Blankets, Woollens, Soak[this post was last edited: 11/6/2020-05:31]