In 1986 Pioneer launched its Carrozzeria brand of premium car audio equipment. The name was used in Japan only, representing the cutting edge of in-car technology. This year Carrozzeria is celebrating its 40th anniversary by releasing a special line of products, most notably the revival of 1980s-style surface-mount speakers.
Pioneer has been around since 1938 and has been making car stereos since 1963. It was responsible for many firsts, but in 1984 Pioneer ushered in the high-tech car audio era when it came out with the CDX-1, the world’s first in-car compact disc player. The Carrozzeria line, launched two years later, put an end to the analog-style Lonesome Car-Boy and Centrate lines and revamped Pioneer’s car audio lineup with modern, digital age designs.
Though Pioneer’s TS-X series speakers predates the Carrozzeria brand, these parcel shelf speakers were a staple of the 80s aftermarket. Their popularity was buoyed by the 1981 debut of the iconic TS-X11, the first 3-way box, featuring a tweeter, midrange, and driver in each enclosure.
These self-contained units offered excellent sound quality, as the speakers were installed in boxes specifically designed for them. They didn’t have to share space with oddly shaped parts like window regulators, and could aim the music directly toward the occupants’ ears. Perhaps just as importantly, these speakers plainly visible through the rear window played the role of status symbol as well, proving to onlookers that the owner could afford the latest and greatest in car audio.
For Carrozzeria’s 40th birthday Pioneer is bringing the surface-mount speakers back in the form of the TS-X40 (for 40th anniversary). Each unit comes with a 13cm woofer, a 5.7cm midrange, and a 1.7cm dome-shaped tweeter with Carrozzeria’s signature double-slit port bass reflex system. The housing is finished in matte silver like the TS-X speakers of old, and the logo illuminates in blue.
In the 90s speaker enclosures went from boxy to bean-shaped, reflecting the transition in the designs of actual cars from angular to bar-of-soap. We’re stoked that Pioneer decided to go with the classic 80s boxes for this anniversary special. Other 40th anniversary items include a single-DIN multimedia receiver that is the first to natively support Dolby Atmos spatial audio playback, and a limited edition version of Carrozzeria’s Cyber Navi GPS unit with a blue housing.
Decades-old TS-X speakers routinely go for hundreds of dollars on the second-hand market and have seen a steep price spike in the last couple of years. As such, the Carrozzeria TS-X40 speakers seem like a great deal at an estimated to retail price of ¥33,000 ($210 USD) each. They go on sale in Japan in July 2026 and should pair nicely with a retro Pioneer head unit.
I always liked these because you’re not hacking up sheetmetal for speakers. Besides, very 80s period correct.
That term Carrozeria just brought me back to Sega GT in the Sega Dreamcast Console. IIRC is where you built your car and customize it. Good times!
the things i will to to acquire a set…probably pay a pretty penny.
Wow, never knew I was hip when I owned a similar Pioneer set of these boxed units! Haha! Bought a pair for one of my first Z cars and mounted them on the aft bottom panel of the rear hatch lid. Made the lid that much heavier and had to eventually upgrade the hatch struts to heavy duty! Sounded OK and really helped solve the “mystery” of decent (not good but decent) speaker placement in the Z cars! (Factory rear-side locations were pretty suck.)