Sinclair Slimline Radio, 1963

Sixty years ago this month, the July 1963 issue of the British publication Radio Constructor carried this ad for the Sinclair “Slimline” micro-radio receiver kit. It was reportedly “acclaimed as the most amazing receiver ever,” and the set, measuring 2-3/4 x 1-5/8x 5/8 inches, would pull in both British and European stations with staggeringly good quality.

The parts were sold by Sinclair Radionics Ltd. of Cambridge. If the name, and the general style of the advertisement, look familiar, it’s because the proprietor was the same Sir Clive Sinclair who went on to market the Sinclair ZX80 computer, a version of which was sold on this side of the Atlantic as the Timex Sinclair.