Gov. Tim Walz explains how 8-Track players work:

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27. They actually existed for some time after the '70s at many radio stations...

...most commonly those on the AM band. They were called "carts" (tape cartridges); they weren't exactly the same as 8-track cartridges, but they were of a similar design. Actually, I believe that it was the other way around--the "carts" came first, then the consumer version (the 8-track). "Carts" were often used for commercials and other frequently-played selections (station ID, etc.). It was a technology that held on into the '90s, believe it or not.

You are correct, however, that the technology kinda sucked. Part of the problem was that the 8-track cartridges and the tape decks themselves were often full of compromises and corner-cutting. Apparently there were some really well-made 8-track decks for home stereos, but that was way before my time. And it wasn't like cassettes were a big improvement when it came to mobile use. I remember all those in-dash cassette decks in Hondas (it seemed like every model of Honda had one) that inevitably ate my most valuable tapes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-track_cartridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidelipac