| Formerly | Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private (1909–18) Subsidiary (1918–72) |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1909 in Dayton, Ohio |
| Founders | Charles Kettering Edward A. Deeds |
| Defunct | 1985 |
| Fate | Merged by GM with Hughes Aircraft to form Hughes Electronics |
| Successor | Hughes Electronics |
| Headquarters | U.S. |
| Products | Automobile radios |
| Parent | General Motors |
| Subsidiaries | Dayton-Wright Company |
Delco Electronics Corporation was the automotive electronics design and manufacturing subsidiary of General Motors based in Kokomo, Indiana, that manufactured Delco Automobile radios and other electric products found in GM cars. In 1972, General Motors merged it with the AC Electronics division and it continued to operate as part of the Delco Electronics division of General Motors. When the corporation acquired the Hughes Aircraft Company, Delco was merged with it to form Hughes Electronics as an independent subsidiary.
The name "Delco" came from the "Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co.", founded in Dayton, Ohio, by Charles Kettering and Edward A. Deeds in 1909.[1] Delco was responsible for several innovations in automobile electric systems, including the first reliable battery ignition system and the first practical automobile self-starter.