Collaro

Collaro Origins

Collaro Audio, a manufacturer of fine quality British audio equipment, has its origins dating back to 1920 when Christopher Collaro founded the company at 23 Garway Road, London. Initially, Collaro Ltd specialized in creating spring motors for gramophones and later expanded to produce electric gramophone motors, which revolutionized the audio industry. The company moved to larger premises in Peckham, London, in 1926, and by 1930, it was producing around 10 motors, now affordable to the general public.

During World War II, Collaro was engaged in munitions work and temporarily relocated to the Valley Works in Langley Mill, Derbyshire, when its London factory was bombed. After the war, the company resumed manufacturing gramophone parts and focused on record changers, also producing Collaro-branded record players and related accessories. By the 1960s, Collaro was described as the largest manufacturer of record changers in the United Kingdom.

In 1960, the company was sold to the American Magnavox corporation, with Isaac Wolfson, a major British industrialist and head of Great Universal Stores, still being involved in providing Magnavox with a retail and distribution network. This acquisition marked a significant change in the direction of Collaro, opening up international manufacturing and distribution for Magnavox.

In 2018, the Collaro name was revived by two UK vinyl enthusiasts, Chris Bentley and Colin Dent, who founded Collaro Audio. This new company specializes in high-quality turntable mats and accessories, inspired by the legacy of the original Collaro Ltd.