In 1959, Zenith introduced a line of budget minded sets to help them stay competitive. This line was called the Americana Series and featured the Royal 250 and Royal 275 in coat pocket radios, and the Royal 675 and Royal 710 in leather portable radios.
The Royal 250 (also known as the All American) was the lowest priced of the Americana Series at $39.95. It had a six transistor chassis and was made of a less expensive and less durable polystyrene cabinet. It was offered in only black, tan, or white. It had a plastic grill and a volume and tuning dial design that would be copied later in the 265, 275, 280, and finally the 285 in 1964. I’m not sure why so many similar models were made.
Fact Sheet
| Radio: | Royal 250 |
| Year introduced: | 1959 |
| Cost New: | $39.95 |
| Colors: | White, Black, Tan |
| Dimensions: | 5.75″ H, 3.75″ W, 1.75″ D |
| Weight: | 15.8 ounces |
| # of Transistors: | 6 |
| Powered by: | 4 AA batteries |
| Undistorted output: | 100 Milliwatts |
Check out these Royal 250 radios.
Hi Gary. Today I found a black Royal 250, that was my 93 yo. grandfathers. Chassis #6ct40z1 and a #102-5701 at the bottom of the battery installation instructions. I could not find a serial #. Interested in the year of manufacture. I installed new batteries, But would only receive the strongest station (760 WJR), at a very low volume. Would like to have it fixed, if possible. Thanks, Dave in Memphis MI.
Hi David and Happy New Year to you. Nice that you found the radio. Sounds like you are near the Detroit area. Dearborn is where I was from, now in Minneapolis. There is information on this site at the Royal 250 page. It states that your radio was introduced in 1959. I have a good source for repairing it also pretty reasonable too. Contact Lenny Bickford at radiomannh@outlook.com for more info. Gary