The popularity of both four - track and eight - track cartridges grew from the booming automobile industry. In September 1965, Ford Motor Company introduced factory - installed and dealer - installed eight - track tape players as an option on three of its 1966 models (Mustang, Thunderbird, and Lincoln), and RCA Victor introduced 175 Stereo - 8 Cartridges from its RCA Victor and RCA Camden artist 's catalogs. By the 1967 model year, all of Ford 's vehicles offered this tape player upgrade option. Most of the initial factory installations were separate players from the radio (such as shown in the image), but dashboard mounted 8 - track units were offered in combination with an AM radio, as well as with AM / FM receivers. Muntz, and a few other manufacturers, also offered 4 / 8 or "12 - track '' players that were capable of playing cartridges of either format, 4 - track or 8 - track. With the backing of the US automakers, the eight - track format quickly won out over the four - track format, with Muntz abandoning it completely by late 1970.
when did the first 8 track come out
September 1965