Vinyl killer

The vinyl killer (also known as a soundwagon or record runner) is a small record player which sits on top of a record and plays it by pushing or pulling itself along the grooves.

A soundwagon and its box

History

The earliest known example of the vinyl killer was the Chorocco, from 1976. Produced by Sony in Japan, it was used as a promotional item and never sold. A unit is on display at a Sony museum in Japan.^[1]

A version of the product called the soundwagon was demonstrated at the Invention and New Product Exposition in 1982. It was being promoted by Jay Lance who was looking for a distributor in the United States at the time.^[2] The exterior of the product was shaped like a Volkswagen campervan.^[3]

Design and operation

The product plays music by driving around the record, following its groove. A lever on the side starts and stops the machine. It was capable of playing records at 33, 45, and 78 RPM, and in reverse.^[3]

The name "vinyl killer" stems from the general opinion that the device can damage records more quickly than a standard turntable.