Uncommon 1948 FADA Model 965 Console

[Tim]

A week or so ago I received notification of a FADA TV going up for auction over the weekend. No model number but It looked interesting with the stepped top and in very nice condition so I threw in a token online bid and promptly forgot about it. Yesterday I received an e-mail invoice from the auction company. I briefly thought it was spam and then remembered about the TV. I had won.

I went to pick it up today and it is a 16" set from 1948 in excellent original condition with some scratches. I had thought it was probably a 12" but I had done no research. It is a model 965. I don't believe that I have ever seen one and I do not think there are many around. It even has the original wooden back. The center portion of the top lifts off and there is an AC interlock to interrupt power when it is removed. RCA 630 style chassis with channel 1. The chassis is rust free. I have not tested the metal 16AP4 CRT yet.

The 1948 ad for this model from the TV History site is here: http://www.tvhistory.tv/1948-Fada-Ad.JPG FADA must have offered these for several years as the date on the power transformer is mid 1949. No price listed in the ad so it was probably not cheap. It is an impressive cabinet and is larger that it appears in the photo.

Does anyone else have one of these?