Model 5302

The 5302 was a stopgap between the 302, and the planned production of the new Model 500 that was being designed by Henry Dreyfuss.

In order to cope with the enormously increased demand for telephones following World War II, Western Electric decided that they would refurbish some of their existing inventory of 302s. They did this by creating an updated plastic housing, based upon the shape of the forthcoming 500, but filling it with the electronic innards of the 302.  These phones also retained the F1 handset of the 302.

Advice for collectors

This is an interesting phone, being a transitional model that was created in limited numbers. The 5302 can often be mistakenly classified as a simple Model 500, but there are obvious differences – most significantly that it is smaller than the 500, both in footprint and overall.