Telefunken roundie ad...
 

From 12 14 1965. First time I saw this ad, I said "looks like a Heathkit". Not the cabinet but all the plastic and knob layout around the CRT. I'm guessing it was just a mock up for the ad...

Also looks a lot like this Curtis Mathes RCA chassis clone. The Curtis Mathes also has instant on like the Telefunken one advertises.

Probably a CTC-15 clone, like most color TVs back then. Doubt they were being made then imported. Most likely, someone was badge engineering them.

Honestly, I doubt many NTSC B&W European TV sets were ever imported, and even fewer color ones. There'd be no way they could compete on price with US manufacturers.

And, actually, the ad has me wondering if it's even real. Do we have a magazine reference that it came out of? I thought Gotham was the Telefunken importer back then.

Crazy! And the set in the picture is a dead ringer for the CM in the Sams above. Knowing how heavily invested in PAL Telefunken were during that era I can't imagine they would even consider building an NTSC set. It's kinda surprising they would even let someone put their logo on one made in the USA. I wonder if maybe Elite just, you know, did it without asking.

So that makes it Curtis' Telis-Matis Funkin' ? :D

The most domestic import set and damn well worth it?

I have the Telefunken Gavotte table radio in that ad. No speakers with it

The most overpriced domestic import set and not so damn well worth it. Until they went NEC, C-M TV sets were RCA licensee color chassis designs with virtually nothing but extended warranty.

Yeah, I got the impression C-M sets were nothing special. Most makes probably didnt have the engineering resources to go head to head with RCA..

They had their own chassis before using the NEC chassis. It was a strange looking thing that was assembled in St. Kitts, BWI using mostly Japanese parts.
Before that, I've seen them with RCA clone and even that lousy Westinghouse design chassis.

Gotham handled Telefunken microphones, and Magnetophone studio tape machines. They did not sell consumer electronics. American Elite handled Telefunken consumer products like the console radio/phonos, table radios, consumer tape recorders, and TV sets.

I wasn't aware that there were any roundies with instant on...

Magnavox had it when they went from RCA clones to their own chassis design, about the same time UHF became mandatory. Had the disable switch on the back labeled "Quick On".

Instant on became popular around 1965 many brands were making roundys as late as 1968 as loss leader sets to get people into stores and upsell them to a nice rectangular console. Some makes like Muntz sold them as late as 73... It makes sense that the later ones had the instant on feature.

Why wait for the picture when you can cook the CRT to death?