Brand · United Kingdom · 1908–1975

Used Imperial typewriters

The Imperial Typewriter Company of Leicester began production in 1908 and became Britain's best-known typewriter maker. Its Good Companion portables, launched in 1932, ran through numbered models to the Model 7 of 1962; the odd-numbered Models 3, 5 and 7 shift the type segment for capitals, while the first Good Companion, the Model T and Models 4 and 6 shift the carriage. From 1954 portables were built at a second factory in Hull, while Leicester made office standards such as the Imperial 66. Litton Industries took over the company in 1966 and closed both factories in 1975. Imperials are common in Britain and scarce in the US, so most listings ship from the UK: in late 2026 Good Companion 5s asked about $150–180 delivered, much of that shipping.