Standard SR-F21
Standard SR-F21
The Standard SR-F21 went on sale for 13,300 yen in mid-1957 as the second transistor radio made by Standard Radio Corp. The SR-F21 also happens to be one of my favorite radios. No reverse paint. But its dynamic contours and functional industrial design speak volumes.
What a remarkable design. At first glance, the radio looks as though it wants to fall over; yet the next glance reveals the overall effect to be so slick that the radio looks like it could take wing at any moment.
An early prototype earned acclaim for the design in early 1957 when it took home an award in the "5th Annual New Japan Industrial Design Concours". Bravo. Minor changes were made after Standard decided to release the model as the SR-F21; but the essential design remained mostly the same.
This model presents itself quite differently from different viewing angles. Here we see the front viewed from the right end. The lack of CD marks is not solid proof, but I believe this model wasn't marketed in the US. To date, I've only confirmed sales in the domestic Japanese and the Canadian markets.