A História Ilustrada do Walkman da SONY - série Sports - ep.3 - 1985: WM-F75

 

1985 WM-F75: The Radio-Equipped Sports Walkman.

The WM-F75 added a full AM/FM radio to the WM-75 platform, and you can see the changes in the body. A rear bulge housed the AM ferrite antenna, and the internals were rearranged to make room for the tuner. The tuning scale ran along the edge of the cassette door, linked to a rear tuning wheel, and the indicators expanded beyond basic battery status. To keep the radio controls sealed, Sony dropped the second headphone jack.

A História Ilustrada do Walkman da SONY - série Sports - ep.2 - 1985: WM-75

 

1985 WM-75: The Compact Sports Walkman

The WM-75 refined the original Sports Walkman idea into a more compact, everyday package. It kept a serious mechanism and feature set, with Dolby B, metal tape support, switchable auto-reverse, and dual headphone outputs. Sealing dictated the layout, pushing the battery and secondary switches inside the cassette bay. Even the porthole window was functional, with a raised rim and studs that protected the face when set down.

A História Ilustrada do Walkman da SONY - série Sports - ep.1 - 1983: WM-F5

 

The Sports Walkman: A Visual History (1983–2001)

A complete history of Sony’s yellow Sports Walkman models, from the WM-F5 to the WM-FS221

This guide covers every yellow Sony Sports Walkman released from 1983 to 2001, from the WM-F5 to the WM-FS221. If you’re trying to identify a model, confirm where it sits in the lineup, or understand how the Sports series evolved over time, this page keeps the whole yellow lineup in one place.

It is also a follow-up to The Walkman: A Visual History (1979–2004), which highlighted the most important cassette Walkman models year by year, focusing on the releases that shaped the line’s design, technology, and culture.

The yellow Sports Walkman is the opposite kind of story. In a lineup that began in 1979, it is one identity held for nearly two decades, repeated until it stopped feeling like a product decision and became a visual rule.

What began as a practical color choice turned into a symbol. Long before most owners ever took one near water or sport, yellow became shorthand for confidence, optimism, and visibility in an era when portable electronics were allowed to stand out.

1983 WM-F5: The First Sports Walkman

The WM-F5 kicked off Sony’s Sports Walkman line and introduced the bright yellow look that would become its signature. Designed for rain, splashes, and rough handling, it used a sealed shell and covered ports to keep water out. It also included an FM radio, giving it the feel of a true outdoor Walkman.