Era

1970s typewriters

In the 1970s the manual typewriter became a budget product as electrics took over offices. Olympia kept the SM9 going until late in the decade, Olivetti still built the Lettera 32, Smith-Corona made the Corsair in England, and Japanese makers such as Brother sold huge numbers of inexpensive portables, often under store brands. Plastic bodies and trim became the norm, and late machines generally feel lighter-duty than their 1950s equivalents, though many are perfectly good typists. These are the most plentiful and cheapest machines on eBay: in late 2026 Smith-Corona Corsairs asked about $100–170 delivered and Brother Charger 11s about $120–270. Favour listings that show a typed sample.