Becker radio information

[tompaah7503]

Originally Posted by alabbasi

Wait for the retro looking GPS enabled Mexico to come out in the US and get that. It will cost a chunk of change but it will look the part.

It is indeed a very good looking unit, although there are a few downsides that turns me off..
- Price.. for $1500 you can get a fully restored original Becker Mexico, modified with aux input, a decent amplifier, speakers and a full-size GPS unit.
- GPS display seems very small, compare this to almost every other GPS unit that has 3" full color screens.
- What, no USB input? Every plastic Chinese crap stereo comes with one, why not this top-of-the-line model? True, it has an iPod connector, good for those who own iPods.. and it has an aux input, great, but I've noticed that havinga selection of mp3's on a USB stick really is the most portable and affordable solution to having your own selection of tunes in a car.

That said, if you get one, post pics of it installed. Must look great!

[ja17]

In 1972 you could order a Becker Europa Stereo or Mono. Actually I have a Becker product broshure from the era which shows a nice selection of stereo and mono radios of that era. You could get automatic tuning (signal seeking) "Mexico" versions, or standard push button with knobs. A external cassette tape deck was even available as an option. Multi-band varieties were also available.

In 1973, the Becker Stereo radio could be ordered with a built in cassette. All these radios of the era had the same classic stye which looked just right for the vintage Mercedes cars of the era.


I have found them to be very reliable and decent sounding when the speakers are still intact. Lack of use kills most of them, things inside tarnish and corrode. Often times a good hosing-down with electrical contact cleaner and lube will get them working perfect again!


The Becker Europa ll Radios looked the same as earlier units from the front but the radio box itself was more advanced and much more compact. Most of the early units (1970 and before) had separate tuners and power packs.

I hate seeing a cheap radio implant in a nicely restored Classic MB.

[noel.brownell]

Thanks Mark! I have a 72 280 that has an 80's radio in it that is very ugly. I think it works, as I can barley hear sound coming from the back rear speaker. Not sure what is going on and know very little about stereo's. Any suggestions?

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Well, on my regular visit to the Pick-N-Pull when I'm in Virginia Beach, I found a Becker Europa II Stereo radio. Curiously, though it's the '70s style with the chrome trim and style of knobs most often seen in the W108 and W114/W115 cars, I found it installed in a 1980 W123 240D.
It's a model# 467 and appears to be the last version chrome-trim Europa stereo radio, without the separate amplifier. I was wondering if Mercedes still offered these as late as 1980, as mostly I've only seen the black-face Europas and push-button Grand-Prix radios in the W123. Anyway, I haven't yet tested the Becker but hope to post an update soon.

Happy Motoring, Mark

[rs899]

Mark-

I don't know the answer, but my pal recently picked up an '84 240D stick that had probably the same chrome Becker radio. The 82 240D stick that I have has the black-faced Becker. I suspect his may have been swapped as his car appears to be a collection of parts. I am pretty sure the chrome Europa was installed in the early production 240Ds (like my '77, although someone replaced it with an inappropriate piece of junk).

Rick

[Mark DiSilvestro]

I just tested the chrome stereo Europa II. The dial light is out but it's playing just fine.
This Europa perfectly fit the "80 240D I pulled it from, and the wiring all was connected properly - no jury rigged splices. The radio even had the late-style DIN speaker sockets.
Ironically, many years ago I bought a blackface W123 Europa cassette unit at a flea-market for $20, and wound up installing it in my W114 250 after the original chrome Europa stereo radio died. I had to make up adapters for the speaker harness in that car.

Last year at the Virginia Beach Pick-N-Pull, where I found this latest chrome Europa, I got the black-face 4-band Europa Cassette that's probably going into my Euro 300TD, if I can get a new belt for the tape-drive. Radio prices there run around $10 or less. Sure beats eBay!

Happy Motoring, Mark