65 Years of History and the Return of the Legend
When something works well, why change it?
We've thought about this since 1959.
Midland turns 65 in 2024, and things have certainly changed since the beginning of this incredible journey. The world moves faster, and that's why we've chosen to stay grounded, continuing to believe in quality over quantity.
To celebrate the significant milestone of our 65th birthday, we've decided to refresh our logo to better reflect our growth and values while maintaining the recognition you've come to love. The new design features a more modern font, giving it a current and dynamic appearance to always convey our payoff of moving communication.
We have also given more importance to the "M," the distinctive sign that has always characterized our brand, thus strengthening our visual identity.
Not only that, we want to take you on a journey back to 1986, the year the legendary Alan 48 hit the market and forever changed our way of communicating.
1986 and Nothing Was the Same Ever Again
It's a hot August day, and you're in your truck on the highway you travel every day for work.
On the radio, Bananarama's "Venus," the new hit warming up discos all over Italy, is playing. Suddenly, you see the traffic starting to slow down, you grab the microphone, say "break, break" and start asking other colleagues about the traffic situation.
One responds with a clear, powerful voice, advising you to take the next exit to avoid spending half the day in a jam.
"73 51 at wheel, pitch" is your way of saying thanks.
Until a few years ago, it seemed impossible to communicate while traveling, especially with such impeccable vocal clarity and a never-before-seen quality guarantee in communications.
It's 1986, and you were one of the first to buy the Alan 48, which would become over the decades the legendary "little shack," the legend.
The Alan 48 was the first CB radio approved for 40 channels, with advanced technology, unparalleled vocal modulation quality, and reliability.
It's no coincidence that if you used the Alan 48 while driving your truck in 1986, that same Alan 48 is probably still functioning today, not missing a beat, even if it has gathered some dust in the basement over the years.
Picking it up, turning it on, and starting communications immediately takes you back 38 years, and even today, you can still taste the romance of communication that made you fall in love with the "little shack."
When there was no internet yet, mobile phones were rare, and social media, WhatsApp, and voice messages didn't exist, the only way to communicate while traveling was to grab the microphone and hear who was "on the wheel."
For instance, this is how you met some of your best friends, fellow truck drivers with whom you exchanged a few words through the "little shack" and later ended up having lunch together. This is also how you met your future wife, also passionate about communications, who had mounted the "little shack" on her Fiat 127.
It's incredible how a single instrument can condense so many memories, but it's clear that the Alan 48 revolutionized not only our way of communicating but also how we build relationships with others; the fact that the "little shack" has lasted all these years makes it a loyal friend, through which entire communities of enthusiasts have freely expressed their passions through modifications and customizations.
The Origins of the Alan 48
In fact, the Alan 48 didn't happen by chance but was the fruit of a lifetime dedicated to passion and continuous research to create products that would somehow become eternal.
The Alan 48 was launched on the market in 1986, but its origins can be traced back to the beginning of Midland's story, when the founder Corrado, already in the 1960s, built his first crystal radio and later created an entire catalog of electronic products for amateur radio enthusiasts. That passion led Corrado to tour all the amateur radio markets in northern Italy and later allowed him to create C.T.E. - Costruzioni Tecnico Elettroniche. It is the same passion that gave life to Alan 48 and all the Midland products that still today follow the company's mission: to simplify moving communications and create products that last as long as possible.
That's why Alan 48, although now 38 years old, remains current and perfectly integrated into today's communication world. A CB that has managed to create a community of aficionados who, with a pinch of nostalgia and a lot of passion, still today discuss which modifications to make to their own "little shack."
And that's why, to celebrate our 65 years of history, together with you, we've chosen to bring back the legend. For the first time in history, The Original Alan 48 returns, but only in a limited edition (what legend would it be otherwise?), and only a few aficionados will be able to make this incredible journey through history: from 2024 to 1986, with the mike in hand, ready to enter the wheel.
