Grundig Reel to Reel Tape Recorders

1945 – Grundig was established by Max Grundig

1946 – Released ‘Heinzelmann’, a radio without tubes

1948 – First complete radio “Weltklang” with four tubes and six circuits

1949 – 150,000th radio, the 186 B/GW which became Grundig Boy

1952 – Releases first tape recorder the Reporter 500 L and first Grundig TV

1957 – Acquires a typewriter company in Bayreuth and changes the facility to create the largest tape recorder factory in the world

1957 – Grundig TK 830 R-R recorder released

1958 – TK 20 R-R introduced

1960 – Grundig opens its first factory outside of Germany in Belfast Northern Ireland to produce tape recorders. The plant would last until 1980 and in 1973 the plant director was kidnapped and killed by the IRA.

1962 – New Grundig tape recorder factory opened in Nuremberg-Langwasser. TK 42 R-R recorder introduced

1964 – TK 46 R-R was released.

1967 – Manufacture of compact cassette machines begins

1972 – Grundig GmbH became Grundig AG. Philips electronics begins to buy up shares in Grundig

1984 – Max Grundig has over the management of his company to Philips, who is now the largest stakeholder

1998 –  Grundig leaves the Philips partnership to go back on their own as the company had continued to perform badly and Philips is no longer a significant consumer electronics company

2003 – Grundig AG files for insolvency

2004 – A restructured Grundig Intermedia GmbH opens for business after Grundig’s employees far exceeded sales targets that had been set by the administrators

2007 – Grundig Intermedia GmbH was acquired by Arçelik

2013 – Grundig remains Europe’s only full-range consumer electronics brand

Sources Radio Fidelity and Historisches Lexikon