Olivetti Studio 45 Typewriter w/case + new ribbon: in perfect working condition.

Description

Take it as an example of classic mid-century design or as a righteous writing tool: either way, the Olivetti Studio 45 is a wonderful typewriter. This typewriter has been put together using the best parts from two 1970 machines. All the body panels were removed so the machine could be cleaned and lubricated, repaired and reassembled. A fresh bicolor ink ribbon has been wound onto a pair of period-correct steel spools. A laminated copy of the original user manual is packed in the lid of the clean and solid carrying case.
Every key and control of this typewriter has been checked and checked again -- and everything is functioning perfectly. Here's a demonstration clip:
1970 Olivetti Studio 45 typewriter demo
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You can find the Studio 45 on the desks of typewriter collectors and in the design collections of museums around the world. The man responsible for this model and for many other classic Olivettis is Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007).
The Studio 45 is featured in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, whose website declares: "This model is significant as it was part of a short generation of portable typewriters introduced before the advent of electric typewriters and personal computers in the late 1970s and early 1980s." Well, that's partly true -- in fact Smith-Corona's first portable electric, the (wonderful!) 5TE, predates the Studio 45, and by the mid-1970s electrics were already outselling these manual machines.
The typewriter offered here is clean, functioning perfectly and
almost
completely stock as originally built. One thing these Olivettis always need at this half-century point in their lives is replacement of the sound-absorbing pads that line the body panels. I have lined the body shell with a fresh layer of adhesive-backed felt, 6mm thick. With this done, the Studio 45 is now a pleasantly quiet typewriter in use.
The touch of this typewriter is pure Olivetti -- a new feeling at first if you come from the Smith-Corona universe, but delightful as you grow accustomed to it. It somehow feels un-mechanical, as if you were dealing with muscles and tendons rather than linkages of metal. This is a quick keyboard action -- I'm a 70-wpm typist and this typewriter never slows me down. The type size is pica, 10 characters per inch, the larger of the two common sizes.
You can admire the modern, faceted design of the Studio 45 -- I had fun photographing it -- but I hope you'll devote extra attention to the typing sample. The printed output is what a typewriter should be judged by, and in this case it's excellent.
The Studio 45 is a design statement that's also a sturdy all-day typer. This one is ready for anything you might want to undertake, from a grocery list or thank-you note to a full manuscript.
I encourage you to review my seller feedback, which speaks to the care I put into refurbishing these vintage machines. I ship next-day, pack with lots of padding, and buy my Fragile stickers in rolls of 500
. I'm quick to reply if you have any questions now, or as you're getting started with a new typewriter.