Subtle and yet full of character, the Lettera 22 is a classic among portable typewriters. This one is from 1959 and comes in original, uncommon pistachio paint, which was one of the colour schemes used by Olivetti for the Lettera 22. The paper plate on the carriage is painted fawn brown - it is likely this Lettera 22 was serviced by an Olivetti mechanic who offered a repaint while servicing the typewriter. When repainting typewriters, Olivetti mechanics often only repainted the main body and ribbon cover but not the paper plate, as the latter requires careful and time-consuming disassembly. As such, it is not uncommon for Lettera 22s with pistachio paint schemes to have fawn paper plates.

The pistachio paint on this Lettera 22 is in very good shape, with only a few minor imperfections: there are a couple tiny chips on the top front of the typewriter, where the ribbon cover meets the rest of the green shell, and a little bit of wear to the corners of the back of the machine. To bring it back to its former glory, the original green paintwork has been polished and waxed with protective museum-grade wax. It gleams nicely, reflecting its surroundings.

All nickel and chrome-plated pieces have been polished with metal polish and are in excellent shape. The plastic platen knobs and keytops are in very good condition and have each received a clean with plastic polish.

This Lettera 22 has been dismantled and the internal mechanisms have been cleaned with a suitable solvent. The escapement of this Lettera 22 was completely dismantled, cleaned and adjusted to ensure a mechanical performance in line with the typewriter's lovely exterior. Appropriate lubrication has been applied where necessary. The original rubber grommets that help hold the green shell to the frame of the typewriter were hard and crumbling away and have been replaced with new ones.

The platen and feed rollers have been cleaned with rubber rejuvinator - the platen has hardened with age as is the case with many vintage typewriters, and a backing sheet of paper should be used for best typing imprint. The feed rollers are in excellent shape and grip paper well, making it easy to insert new pieces of paper and carry on writing. The rubber feet, which are also in excellent shape, have also been cleaned with rubber rejuvinator and grip tabletops well.

Mechanically this Lettera 22 is in fine form - the basket shift is light, and the silent carriage return is steady and smooth. The bell rings, margins work, and the touch control under the ribbon cover gently increases or decreases the pressure needed from fingers to type. The backspace, shift-lock, margin release, line space selector and variable line spacing knob all work as intended.

This Lettera 22 comes with its original case, which is in good condition. It has been cleaned, and only some age related marks on the exterior remain. The zippers work well, and the closing flap buttons nicely. The handles are sturdy.

A new ribbon has been installed on the typewriter's original metal spools, and print quality is excellent. This typewriter prints elite typeface in 12 cpi (characters per inch) in black or red.

This Lettera 22 will be expertly packaged in a well-sized cardboard box with signed-for delivery and insurance. Shipping to the US and other international destinations is available.

Dimensions(w x l x h): 27 x 37 x 10 cm (height includes the carriage return lever folded out for use); weight - 3.7 kg