Arabic Language Olivetti Lettera 32 with New Platen! (1974)

OLIVETTI LETTERA 32 — 1974

Arabic keyboard — آلة كاتبة عربية

New Platen!

[Note: Any US Tariffs will be paid by us.]

An Olivetti Lettera 32 manufactured in 1974 for writing Arabic. Externally it is a standard Lettera 32 with its mechanism reworked so that the carriage moves towards the right as each character is typed. The difference lies beneath the shell, where the carriage movement has been reversed through "mirrored" mechanical elements. The body, keyboard and chrome are in excellent condition, and the machine is accompanied by a custom zip carrying case with shoulder strap.

The Lettera 32 was introduced in 1963 as the successor to the Lettera 22, to a design by Marcello Nizzoli, and became one of the most widely used portable typewriters of its time. Arabic versions are quite uncommon. On a Western typewriter the carriage moves to the left as each character is typed, so that the line runs from left to right across the page. For Arabic, written from right to left, the carriage must travel the other way. Olivetti did not design a separate machine for this. Instead it adapted the existing Lettera 32 mechanism to reverse the carriage movement, retaining the rest of the machine’s construction. The result is a typewriter that looks and handles like any Lettera 32 but writes in the opposite direction.

The body has no noticeable signs of age or use. The finish, keyboard and chrome details all present extremely well. Owing to the requirements of Arabic writing, the machine types in one colour only. The zip carrying case is in excellent condition. The zipper is intact and fully working.

The Arabic text is of the size associated with "Pica" characters—that is, around 10 characters to the inch.

This typewriter has been restored by Acme Type Machine Company to its original factory operating standard. The mechanism has been carefully cleaned, adjusted and calibrated; the original finish, keyboard and case are unaltered. It bears the permanent Acme Seal, attached discreetly on the mechanism, identifying restoration within our workshop and providing enduring provenance.

SPECIFICATIONS

Maker: Olivetti

Model: Lettera 32 (Arabic)

Year: 1974

Keyboard: Arabic Characters

Typeface: Arabic, Pica, 10 Characters to the inch

Finish: Original Light Blue

Platen: Platen rubber is new with a durometer reading of ~89.

Case: Custom-made carrying case, in excellent condition