Grants 737 Deluxe typewriter

It was over a decade ago that I last saw a Grants 737 in person—a thrift-store find. Now a customer of Urban Legend Typewriters has brought in one that needs cleaning. This typewriter was made in Japan by Nakajima for Grants stores in the 1970s. (For more information, see my post on the Grants 707 electric.)

This is a good typewriter! It's smooth, snappy, precise, and solid. It is actually a pleasure to type on—unlike the far more common Smith-Corona Corsair and its ilk, which it superficially resembles. The Corsair is smaller and lighter (not necessarily an advantage), rattly, imprecise, and easily bent out of shape. There's no contest.

If you enjoy turquoise plastic—and I do, since it somehow evokes my childhood—then I advise you to hold out for one of these. 

What's an Andretti typewriter?

I am looking forward to watching “The French Dispatch” when it streams and I can pause to ogle all the typewriters. 

Here are 3 sizes of the “Andretti Ribbon-Mate,” based on Max Bill’s 1944 design for the Patria (also used for Swissa, Voss Privat, Japy, Byron, Oliver, and Amaya—see p. 11 of ETCetera no. 89). (This isn’t an image from the film, but a photo posted by a blogger who visited an exhibit of props from the movie.)

The “Andretti” in this poster (designed by Pascal Blanchet) is obviously based on the Hermès Baby. 

The following two posters for the film reference the Olympia Traveller 

and the typewriters made now (!) by Shanghai Weilv.

How quickly can you find the typewriter here?

 

For a new year