Automotive tuners are actually far more complex than you may realise. The major manufacturers have spent a great deal of money and many years refining their receivers to the quality that you would now expect from even relatively cheap head units.

Although there are a number tuner modules available on the market, such as that used in the Mk.1 car player, there are few good quality OEM automotive modules. Our requirements are also a little specific, requiring an appropriate digital interface and certain dimensional criteria. We found a suitable product, but production of it is running much later than expected.

So in short, yes, there's a global shortage of these - and many other - electronic components. Production of the original car player was delayed by months due to a shortage of the most basic capacitors!

Rob