====== Panasonic, National Panasonic ======
{{ :logo:panasonic-logo.gif?80|}}**National**, **National Panasonic**, **Panasonic** are trademarks of domestic and hi-fi electronmics manufactured by the Matsushita Group in Osaka; in addition, the hi-fi brand **Technics** is a branch of the same company.

===== Company history =====
The **Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.** was founded in Osaka in 1918. In 1931, Matsushita took over Kokudo Electric and the first radios were produced; in 1935, Matsushita Electric Trading Co. was established and started to export to countries outside Japan.

In 1953, Matsushita engaged into a technical cooperation with the Philips Group with the establishment of **Matsushita Electronics Corporation**, which continued until 1993. 

As early as 1925, the **National** trademark was introduced for bicycle lamps, this trademark was later used for the entire product range. With the expansion to the American market, Matsushita could not use this name, as an American company was already using the [[National]] brand, this was the birth hour of **Panasonic**; until 1985, all sets produced by Matsushita carried the name **National Panasonic**.

From 1965 to 2010, hi-fi and DJ equipment was also sold under the high-end brand **Technics**.

==== Further information ====
  * [[https://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_hersteller_detail.cfm?company_id=40#a|National Panasonic on the website of www.radiomuseum.org]]