Looks like a suitcase, doesn't it? That's exactly what Zenith had in mind when engineering their very first portable radio. They wanted to design a radio that would be lightweight, easy to carry, would run off battery power as well as wall current, and be durable enough to withstand years of wear and tear. The first ideas for the radio were conceived late in 1938. At that time, Zenith was mainly concerned with developing a radio that would be practical for use on a yacht or train. Several design ideas were submitted before the tweed suitcase cabinet was adopted. Really, what could have been more practical for portability than a suitcase? Remember, it's the late 1930's and the average battery powered table radio weighs about 25 pounds! Production began on the all new portables in mid-1939. Zenith offered a line of over ten different suitcase style portables, all being sold as 1940 models, priced from $29.95 for a four tube battery model in basic cloth to $59.95 for a five tube cowhide covered version with wood trim. This particular model retailed for $44.95. The name "Universal" was exclusively reserved for the highest quality portable of the Zenith line. The new portable radio hit America at a time when people were becoming "mobile" again after ten years of idleness. Portables outsold many table and console models in 1940. By the end of the model year, RCA, Philco, Motorola, General Electric, Silvertone, and many other radio companies were offering their own suitcase portables. But Zenith had one thing the others didn't. Something that would lead to over 40 years of portable success. The Wavemagnet antenna.
The Wavemagnet was found in the back panel, attached to the rear cover. The first Wavemagnet, as seen on this 5-G-401, looked like a metal rectangle with suction cups on one side. By 1941, however, the Wavemagnet was redesigned to look like a giant red horseshoe magnet bearing the Zenith logo. The antenna was designed to stick to the window of a boat or train passenger car.
The 1940 portable has another historical significance aside from being Zenith's first practical portable. Over the next year, the 5-G-401 would be used for research in developing the famous Trans-Oceanic radio. The first Trans-Oceanics would appear in 1941 for the 1942 model year.
Zenith would drop the Universal name around 1950, but the Trans-Oceanic remained the flagship of Zenith until mid 1982, when Zenith stopped production of radios. The Trans-Oceanic had a longer life than most radios, being in continual production for about 40 years.
Most of the early portables saw a lot of wear and tear from being taken on many vacations, business trips, etc., and as a result very few are found in good condition today. The cloth covering became ripped and soiled as the radio traveled like a piece of luggage, and the fact that many were stored away in damp basements or attics after all their use didn't help them either. The condition of mine is slightly above average, but I have seen a few that are better. There are no holes or rips in the cloth covering, but it is soiled in several places. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to remedy this because the cloth can be damaged if excessive cleaning is tried.
I found this radio in May 2000 for $10 and restored the electronics of this radio in the late summer of 2000. I had never restored an AC/battery radio prior to this. Basically, there wasn't much difference, as the chassis was designed a lot like the table radios of the era. The only difference was there were battery cables also attached to the set, which I didn't mess with. The usual recap and cleaning was done and the radio played like new.
