Wilco Corallo – record player

The Wilco Corallo is one of the most iconic Italian record players of the 1970s: compact, colourful, and instantly recognisable. An object that combines form and function in a single portable unit.

Record player. The name said it all. You’d usually find them in teenagers’ bedrooms, sitting on the floor on a rug or on a bed, or propped up on a piece of furniture in the living room. It looked like a simple plastic box, usually orange, blue or red, with a knob, a button and a handle for carrying it.

Technically, it was a portable automatic record player, but for that era it simply represented the achievable dream of being able to listen to your own music wherever you wanted. Mainly Italian pop music, a few English or French hits and, for the little ones, the legendary Fiabe Sonore, the ones that began with “There are a thousand fairy tales in my heart to tell / Come with me to my fairy-tale world to dream...”.

The 45 rpm record (i.e. the one with a diameter of 178 millimetres and a speed of 45 revolutions per minute) was inserted through a slot in the record player: an internal spring mechanism, triggered by the insertion of the record, secured it to the turntable, which began to rotate, whilst the needle settled onto the surface of the record, starting playback. And every time, a small miracle unfolded before the eyes and ears of young and old alike. What’s more, it ran on batteries and could therefore be taken on day trips and even to the beach. It’s no coincidence that the songs most frequently associated with the record player were ‘Abbronzatissima’ or ‘Sapore di sale’.

The record player was therefore an extremely popular item and, at the same time, one of the emblems of the dawn of the consumer society. One of the most popular models was the Wilco (“Chicco”, “Corallo”, “Pepito”), alongside other models from Grundig or Geloso.

Ideal for anyone looking for a 45 rpm player to use, collect or display. The ‘record player’ format allows the vinyl to be inserted directly into the unit, with no visible turntable, making it particularly popular with the younger (and nostalgic) generation of the 1970s.

This model, presented in a vibrant coral red, is in perfect cosmetic condition. It has been thoroughly tested and refurbished to ensure a pleasant and reliable listening experience, whilst retaining all the aesthetic charm of the era.