Machine Details
Smith Corona
Galaxie Deluxe
196x-197x
6T2V-261823
Available for Acquisition
No. 66, Elite, 12cpi
Segment
QWERTY
Portable
Manual Electric
10"
14.5 × 12.5 × 5.5"
Yes
Machine Description
Highlights
- Power-Space key for rapid carriage advance, a feature unique to this SCM line
- Slide-forward hood for ribbon access, instead of the lift-and-tilt design used on most competitors
- Top-mounted tab set and tab clear, a callback to older desktop layouts
- Built-in key unjammer, positioned where a modern backspace key sits
- Page gauge on the left platen assembly, with warning lines at two inches, one inch, and end of page
History
Smith Corona introduced the Galaxie in 1960, designed by David Chase and Raymond Stevens of Stevens-Chase Design Associates. It launched the company’s Series 6 line, the platform that carried Smith Corona’s manual and electric portables through the 1970s. The Galaxie name also appeared under different badges: Sterling, Super-Sterling, and Deville, depending on the market and year.
Serial numbers on the Galaxie Deluxe don’t map cleanly to production years. The Typewriter Database lists gaps in its dating charts for the 6T2V prefix range, so most collectors place these machines somewhere between 1966 and 1972 based on features and materials rather than exact records. Don’t expect precision here; a seller’s specific year claim is usually a guess.
General thoughts
This machine was built for the home and student market, and it shows. The action is light, the parts are simple to access, and nothing about the design demands special tools or expertise. Smith Corona clearly built the Galaxie Deluxe to survive decades of casual use, and most survivors prove it.
The Power-Space key is the standout feature. Hold it down and the carriage ratchets forward on its own, letting you skip past several characters without hand strain. It’s the kind of detail you don’t miss until you’ve used it, then wonder why other manufacturers skipped it.
The ‘unstick’/unjammer key kind of works, mostly when a single typebar/slug gets stuck against the ribbon carrier. In cases where multiple typebars were stuck together (which, to me, is the most common sense of “stuck keys”) the key didn’t resolve the issue. Perhaps this is specific to my machine, though.
The ribbon cover/hood slides forward on this model (vs. lifting off on other machines), providing quick access for ribbon changes and slug cleaning.
Some notes from other owners/users
- Check the tab mechanism at the rear carriage cover; the metal teeth there can loosen over time and affect tab accuracy.
- The plastic line indicator that holds paper against the platen is a common failure point. If yours is missing or broken, you can still align paper using the platen knob markings.
- These machines take standard universal ribbon, no proprietary cartridges, so replacement is simple.
- If the shift key is inserting extra spaces, check for a slight bend in the base of the case before assuming a bigger mechanical problem; it’s a known, fixable cause.
Serial Number Location:
On the bottom of the machine, viewable through a rectangular opening. Serial Number Location Image
Features
- Special Characters ¼½ Power Space
- Tabulator
- Ribbon Selector Bichrome + Stencil
- Variable Line Spacing
- Margin Release
- Copy/Impression Control
- Paper Support
- End-of-Page Indicator
- Carriage Lock
Condition Report
Clean and in decent shape. Several small marks and areas of tape/residue around the body.
Nicely responsive & solid. Requires a bit of a heavier press than I expect. Could just need another round of segment cleaning.
Solid and operates as expected.
A bit hard with some light dimpling. Unique blue platen color.
Solid and accurate.
Types in a nicely consistent manner.
All work - including the Power Space button.
Not perfectly crisp, but very good.
Aligned properly.
All keys intact; extra Internaional Characters & box included.
Works as expected.
Nicely clear & loud.
Name plates are all in good condition.
Seem great.
Case Condition Notes
Includes key
Provenance
Secondary B
Related Resources
- How to use all functions on a 1969-72 Smith-Corona Galaxie Deluxe (via Brooksaw Antiques)
- Smith Corona Galaxie Deluxe Typewriter Tutorial (via Classic Typewriter)
Type Specimen
