Altec SW 1
Not much is documented about the Altec SW 1, and even its basic identity takes some care. The one solid record is a period equipment directory, where it shows up in a car stereo speaker listing as a 6×9-inch woofer priced at $240 each. HiFI-Stereo (1983, p.188) listed it next to other Altec automotive offerings, with a frequency response of 50-150 Hz ±4 dB and no rated efficiency given.
Altec's own advertising from the early 1980s called the SW 1 the "Power Bass" component of a modular car audio system. It was paired with the SK1 extended-range speakers and TK1 3-inch high-frequency drivers, so you could build a full-range setup from separate Altec elements. An ad in High Fidelity (May 1980, p.33) made exactly this pitch, describing the SW 1 as supplying the rich, low bass that had been missing in automotive sound. A similar advertisement ran in HiFI-Stereo (June 1980, p.101).
Past that, the record goes quiet. No production years, no impedance or sensitivity figures, no cabinet or driver construction details, and no independent test reports have surfaced. The SW 1 appears to have been a dedicated subwoofer-style driver for car use, at a time when Altec was actively pushing multi-piece car audio systems. The specifics of its design and its time in the catalog are not documented in the surviving sources.
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