Murphy Radio

Murphy Radio was a British manufacturer of radios and televisions based in Welwyn Garden City, England.

Murphy B41 and B40 radios

Murphy television set

Model: U102 (c.1947)

Murphy Radio was founded in 1929 by Frank Murphy and E.J. Power[1] as a volume manufacturer of home radio sets. Its factories were based in the Hertfordshire town of Welwyn Garden City, England, starting with fewer than 100 employees. Murphy also had a manufacturing facility in Islandbridge, Dublin, Ireland.

Wireless Set No. 38 (1944)

The original Murphy Radio company played an important role during World War II, designing and manufacturing radio sets for British Armed Forces use - chief among these were the Wireless Set No. 38. After the war, Murphy used its military experience to design and build sets for Naval use, principally the 'B40' series for the British Commonwealth Navies. The company also produced the Larkspur era A41 VHF manpack transceiver for the British Army during the 1950s.[2]

Murphy himself left the company during 1937 and went on to found another company called, perhaps unwisely, 'FM Radio'. He died aged 65, in 1955.[3]

Although the company became well known for the manufacture of television sets, it was eventually amalgamated with Bush Radio in 1962. The name, 'Murphy' has survived, but as a licensee for Far Eastern electronics.

In 2012, it gained wide attention in India due to the movie Barfi!. A vintage Murphy radio also appears in the opening of film Life of Pi.