Currently awaiting U.S. Senate approval, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act seeks to make AM radio a mandated requirement of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .
[When] the internet gets cut off or the TV doesn't work because of no power to your house, you can still turn on your [car's] AM radio."—Rep. Josh Gottheimer AM radio is the longest-running form of in-car audio, unless you count singing when behind the wheel. The very first aftermarket radios began showing up in the 1920s and 1930s, though they were expensive and very bulky. An early Blaupunkt car radio, for instance, cost a third the price of a new car and was the size of a suitcase.And the kind of radio you could pick up on in those early days is absolutely mind-boggling.