The Advent of Motorola and the Car Radio

©2026 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Intrigued by the idea of portable radios, Paul and Joseph [Galvin] soon gravitated toward finding a solution for an affordable radio mounted in the car itself. In June 1930, the brothers enlisted the help of inventors Elmer Wavering and William Lear to retrofit Paul’s Studebaker with a radio. 

During the project, Paul and Joseph decided to rename their business to Motorola: “motor” for motor vehicle, and “ola,” which was derived from the company Victrola, the preeminent phonograph manufacturer, to evoke the idea of music.