Olympia SM7 (1963)

$325 (plus shipping if outside the Detroit area)

Meet “Lance,” a working 1963 Olympia SM7 DeLuxe typewriter that the vice president of Ohio’s Automatic Laundry Council used to manage his chain of coin-op landromats.

Made in Germany, this Olympia portable typewriter is a rare pastel aqua blue, with a ribbed gray accent and gleaming chrome. It is a pleasurable typing experience, with keys that all strike fluidly, a smooth carriage, and a cheerful little bell that rings at the end of each line.

This luxurious manual machine includes touch control right on the keyboard, so you can adjust the strike-force needed to type to suit your own preference. As you may know, the “DeLuxe” versions of Olympias are more feature-rich than their standard siblings.

Olympia SM7s are solidly built workhorses crafted for decade-after-decade of heavy use and “Lance” still delivers. In addition to typing well, it remains cosmetically solid despite some minor flaws: almost unnoticeable marks near the space bar, some small traces of white-out use, and an “I” key that is slightly askew (but which still types normally).

The silver “Olympia” nameplate on the front is complete and shines brightly. It goes without saying that the swooping lines of the machine evoke major space age vibes that will enliven any desk.

The typeface on this mid-century modern wonder is a classic serif typeface in Pica which is a compact 12 characters per inch. Please see photos for a type sample. Additionally, it will arrive with a fresh black ribbon installed so it is ready to write for hundreds of pages right out of the box. Since this Olympia uses universal typewriter ribbon, replacements are readily available when the time comes far down the road..

“Lance” also includes its original two-tone, wood-and-faux-leather hard case in very good condition for its age. Notable for an over 60-year-old vintage typewriter, the exterior of the case has only a couple of the tiniest scratches. The case’s interior is felt-lined, with clamps and prongs that hold the machine securely in transit.

Please look through the pictures to see more detail of the visual condition of this typewriter. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

This stunning Olympia SM7 Deluxe is ready for its next adventure inspiring you to write out yours.

If shipping is needed, great care is taken in packing each typewriter well, with the carriage stabilized, the type basket packed so the letters don’t move, plenty of bubble wrap cocooning the machine, and a sturdy box that snugly fits all of the packing material cushioning the machine.

After purchase, you’ll be sent a custom video showing some basic instructions for using your machine, as well as the packing process of your typewriter.