About the Company
Winston was a British reel‑to‑reel tape recorder brand manufactured by Winston Electronics Ltd of Shepperton, Middlesex, United Kingdom. The company produced tape recorders during a relatively brief period from about 1958 until 1961, a time when many small British electronics firms built their own open‑reel machines for the consumer and hobbyist home audio market. Winston’s recorders used vacuum tube electronics, consistent with other consumer machines of the late 1950s before transistorized designs became widespread. The reels were designed for 220–240 volt mains operation and typical British household use.
The most documented Winston model is the Winston Thoroughbred, introduced in late 1957 and available through about 1961. This unit was a tube‑based portable/console reel‑to‑reel recorder built around an existing transport mechanism (specifically a modified Collaro Mk IV transcription transport), a common approach among small British makers of the era. It was configured as a half‑track mono recorder with two heads, and supported three tape speeds (3 ¾, 7 ½ and 15 inches per second), a broader speed range than many contemporaries, and could use 7‑inch reels.
The Thoroughbred had features such as built‑in level meters, a magic‑eye valve for visual indication of recording levels, and an integrated pre‑amplifier/mixer that allowed simultaneous recording from multiple sources (for example a microphone and radio or phonograph). The design also included internal loudspeakers and a modest power amplifier so the unit could be used as a self‑contained recorder and playback system without external amplification; it also provided outputs for use with larger systems. Contemporary reviews and advertisements positioned it as a capable recorder with three‑speed capability aimed at ambitious home recordists.
Winston’s recorders were produced in a period when the consumer reel‑to‑reel market in the United Kingdom was expanding but still highly fragmented, with many small firms competing with large British and imported brands. Winston’s presence was modest in this broader landscape, and the company did not develop a large model range or long continuing series of tape recorders. By about 1961, as transistorization spread and competition tightened—particularly from larger European and emerging Japanese manufacturers—the Winston reel‑to‑reel line appears to have disappeared from the market.
In summary, Winston was a short‑lived British reel‑to‑reel tape recorder brand active circa 1958–1961, producing tube‑based consumer machines such as the Winston Thoroughbred. Its products were typical of British home audio recorders of the late 1950s, offering multiple tape speeds and integrated amplification, but the brand did not evolve into a long‑standing or internationally significant tape recorder manufacturer.