Machine Details
Olympia
SM3
1958 (Germany)
1294682
Permanent Collection
Elite, 11cpi
Carriage
QWERTY
Portable
Manual Electric
10"
13.25 × 12.5 × 5.75"
≈14.1 lbs.
Yes
Machine Description
The SM3 is Olympia’s best portable from the carriage-shift era, and this 1958 green example is a textbook one.
Olympia built the SM3 from 1953 to 1961. It sits between the SM2 and SM4 in the lineup: it adds a tabulator the SM2 never had, but the tab stops are still set manually on a scale on the back of the carriage, not from a keyset like the SM4 that arrived this same year. A 1958 design change at serial number 1,235,000 moved tab-setting from that rear scale to the margin scale, so you no longer had to spin the machine around to check your stops. Depending on your serial number, your machine may fall on either side of that change.
By 1958 the SM3 was a mature, dialed-in design. Olympia spent years refining fit and finish on this body style, and it shows in how the machine feels: tight tolerances, light key action, and a carriage return that snaps home with no slop. Collectors regularly rank it above contemporaries like the Smith-Corona Skyriter and late-model Underwoods for feel and build quality.
Typeface is worth checking on your own unit. Standard SM3s typically carry Olympia’s elite typeface at 11 characters per inch, but Congress Pica and Congress Elite variants also turn up on 1958 machines and were popular enough that collectors specifically seek them out. Pull a type sample and compare letterforms before assuming you have the standard face.
- Mechanically these are reliable. Service issues are usually limited to dried lubrication or a shift assist spring that’s lost tension, not anything structural.
- If the shift action feels heavy on your pinky, that’s the assist spring, not a defect. Adjusting spring tension fixes most complaints about the carriage shift.
- Green crinkle finish with dark green keys was a common 1958 color combination, alongside black and burgundy. Nothing rare about the color itself, but it photographs well and holds up better than glossy finishes from the same years.
Regardless of how common they may or may not be, this is an exceptional machine and is a favorite among my collection.
Serial Number Location:
Stamped on the bottom of the frame. Serial Number Location Image
Accessories / Ephemera
Brush
Features
- Special Characters £¼½¾
- Tabulator
- Ribbon Selector Bichrome + Stencil
- Variable Line Spacing
- Margin Release
- Touch Selector
- Paper Support
Condition Report
Case Condition Notes
The case has general, but relatively light, external dirtiness, some rusting on handle hardware, a few scratches and knicks. Case feet are dried & compressed. Some staining inside. Structurally solid.
Provenance
Primary B
Related Resources
- Olympia SM3 Manual (via Richard Polt)
- How to use all functions on a 1959 Olympia SM3 (from Brooksaw Antiques)
- 1958 Olympia SM3 Typewriter Tutorial (from Jot & Tittle)
- SM3s in the Typewriter Database
- Chris Aldrich's SM3 Post
- Paper Blogging's SM3 Post
- Olympia SM series (part 1, 1948-1964) (via X Over It)
- 1958 Olympia SM3 Listing (via Charlie Foxtrot typewriters)
Type Specimen
