Torpedo 18
Photo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
One example. Colors, sub-models, and production years vary; the machine you find may differ.
Torpedo 18
Torpedo built its portables in Frankfurt, and after Remington Rand took over the firm in the 1930s the export models often wore other names, including Blue Bird. People who have used both put it right alongside the Olympia SM3 for feel, sometimes ahead of it, and the main catch is simply that far fewer were made, so they turn up less often. If one crosses your path in working order, it tends to be worth the trouble.
What people say
the solid feel of the Olympia SM3, but with an easy basket shift instead of a carriage shift
Worth knowing
- Remington Rand took over Torpedo's typewriter arm in 1931; the export portables were sometimes sold under the Blue Bird name. Robert Messenger ↗
- Torpedo-Werke was owned by Remington Rand; the 18 also turned up under other badges, including the Blue Bird. Will Davis ↗
See & hear it for yourself
Manuals & repair
All sources
External, in their original form. The people who know these machines best — click through to read and watch.
Where to find one
Listings come and go. These show whatever Torpedo 18 machines are on the marketplace right now.
See Torpedo 18 listings on eBay marketplace
Some links here are affiliate links. If you find a machine through one I get a small share at no cost to you, and it doesn't change which machines I point to.
Specifications
- Manufacturer
- Torpedo-Werke (Remington Rand), Frankfurt
- Origin
- West Germany
- Years
- 1949–1960
- Form
- Portable
- Mass
- 7 kg
- Shift
- segment