Fully Restored Imperial Good Companion Model 1 Typewriter | 1939 British Heritage Classic

📖 Product Overview: A Definitive British Literary Legend

Presenting a magnificent piece of British engineering and typographic history: the Imperial Good Companion Model 1 (Serial No. CG457, manufactured circa 1939). Named after the famous novel The Good Companions by J.B. Priestley, this iconic machine was proudly manufactured in Leicester, England, just before the outbreak of World War II. It stands as one of the most sought-after and culturally significant portable typewriters ever built.

This specific unit has undergone a painstaking, multi-day 9 to 12 hours mechanical overhaul at our specialized UK workshop. Safely combining its deep historical character with rock-solid, production-ready typing performance, this Imperial Good Companion is a favourite among authors, historians, and serious collectors. It is fully prepared for many more hours of daily creative writing.

📊 Technical Specifications & Restoration Data

• Brand & Model: Imperial "The Good Companion" Model 1.

• Serial Number: CG457 (Verified Year of Manufacture: 1939).

• Origin: Manufactured by the Imperial Typewriter Co. Ltd. in Leicester, England.

• Keyboard Layout: Standard QWERTY Layout.

• Mechanical Condition: 100% Fully Functional. The entire type basket, carriage rails, and escapement have been completely tuned and tested for perfect smoothness and long-term reliability.

• Our Rigorous Workshop Restoration Upgrades:

  • Precision Overhaul & Deep Clean: Every individual link, segment slot, and sub-lever has been chemically cleaned and freed of decade-old dust to guarantee a smooth, fluid keystroke.

  • Brand-New Fitted Platen Rubber: Upgraded with a brand-new, newly vulcanized premium rubber platen layer (a £150 value). This crucial upgrade drastically improves paper-feeding grip and cushions type-bar impact to protect the machine and produce clean, crisp text alignment.

  • Reinforced Stability Components: Outfitted with brand-new internal washers, rubber grommets, and essential custom fittings where needed to ensure lasting mechanical stability.

  • Fresh Ribbon on Original Spools: Pre-installed with a brand-new 10-meter black and red ink ribbon, meticulously wound onto the typewriter's authentic, original Imperial spools.

🎨 Cosmetic Condition & Historical Ephemera

• Cosmetic Presentation: Excellent, highly preserved vintage condition. The elegant gloss black body displays its historical character with gorgeous, tasteful originality.

• Pristine Royal Decals: The original gold factory decals are exceptionally well-preserved, featuring the prestigious, historic King George Royal Coat of Arms emblem proudly displayed on the paper table.

• Original Protective Lid: Includes its authentic, original hardshell carrying lid. The case shows genuine, age-appropriate wear with light internal and external surface scratches that add undeniable character and vintage provenance to the set.

• Accessories Included: Comes complete with its authentic original user manuals and the finger keyboard chart ( with marks) , an uncommon combination for collectors.

✍️ Typeface & Font Details

• Typeface Style: Classic PICA Typeface—providing bold, crisp, and beautifully striking character definitions.

• Font Pitch: Fixed at 10 Characters Per Inch (10 CPI / Pica size), giving your letters, poetry, or novels a timeless clarity and unmistakable vintage publication aesthetic.

🌍 Global Shipping, Timelines & Tariff Information

• 🇺🇸 United States & 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Shipping (100% Free & All-Inclusive): Standard local & international shipping to the US and UK is completely free and included in the listed price. Furthermore, all US import tariffs and customs duties are fully prepaid by our workshop. There are absolutely zero hidden checkout fees, surprise border holds, or cash-on-delivery demands at your door.

• 🌐 International Shipping (Europe, Australia, Canada & Rest of World): We dispatch all website orders in less than 24 hours. We offer flexible, fully tracked premium shipping options calculated at checkout:

  • Standard International Delivery: Safely delivered via premium air courier directly to your doorstep in 3 to 7 working days (with prompt EU dispatch and highly competitive rates to Australia and remote destinations).

  • Express International Delivery Upgrade: Arrives at your door in just 1 to 3 working days for a small additional fee.

• Proprietary Global Packaging Protocol: To ensure a 1930s classic survives international air travel perfectly, we mechanically lock down the carriage, insulate the outer frame in multi-layered shock-absorbing cushioning, and suspend the entire unit within a heavy-duty, double-walled outer shipping carton.

🤝 The "Ready-to-Write" Package & Lifetime Support

• Unbox & Start Writing: Your Imperial Good Companion arrives pre-installed with a fresh ink ribbon and our primary step-by-step startup instructions designed by our workshop team. Simply unbox, release the carriage lock, and begin typing immediately.

• Video Learning Academy: Your package includes a direct link to our dedicated YouTube video tutorial, teaching you exactly how to type on, care for, adjust the margins, and change ink ribbons on your specific Imperial Model 1 typewriter.

• Lifetime Technical Partnership: Your relationship with our workshop does not end at delivery. Every typewriter we sell comes with lifetime technical support. You receive direct email and video-call troubleshooting access to Walid and Joujou, the celebrated restoration experts from the BBC's The Repair Shop and major Netflix productions.

🎬 We prepared a video on how to use this Typewriter on YouTube. Link below.