Fully Restored Olympia SM9 Portable Typewriter | Rare Modern Congress PICA #91 Typeface (10 CPI) & Original Case 

📖 Product Overview: The Undisputed King of Manual Portables

Meet the legendary Olympia SM9 wearing the highly desirable, rare Modern Congress #91 Typeface (10 CPI)—an iconic writing machine built for sheer mechanical endurance and refined through comprehensive workshop restoration. Widely regarded by novelists, journalists, and collectors as one of the finest portable typewriters ever manufactured, the SM9 ranks squarely in our Top 3 Best Typewriters Ever Made.

How Does the SM9 Differ from the SM8?

While both machines share West German heavy-duty engineering, the SM9 features a full tabulator mechanism that can be set manually using the tab lever on the left side of the keyboard and cleared fully from the right side of the carriage. Additionally, its basket/segment shift mechanism keeps shift-key pressure whisper-light on your hands during long, continuous typing sessions.

Meticulously overhauled for 8 to 10 hours at our UK workshop, this machine has undergone a complete deep-flush to rescue its mechanical alignment, bringing it back to smooth, responsive operation.

📊 Technical Specifications & Restoration Data

• Brand & Model: Olympia SM9

• Origin: Made in Western Germany (famed for peerless mechanical precision).

• Keyboard Layout: QWERTY Layout.

• Typeface: Rare Modern Congress PICA #91 Typeface (10CPI / PICA Scale).

• Mechanical Status: 100% Fully Functional & Rescued. Deep-cleaned, chemically flushed, and stress-tested for fluid, snappy key response.

• Basket Shift Advantage: Features Olympia's famous segment/basket shift—allowing the key segment to drop down rather than lifting the heavy carriage, drastically reducing hand and wrist fatigue.

• Fresh Two-Tone Ribbon Installed: Pre-installed with a brand-new Group 9 (GR9) 10-meter black & red ink ribbon on spools—poised to deliver vibrant, crisp impressions from your very first keystroke.

• Platen Condition & Upgrade Option: Fitted with a  good original rubber platen roller that performs reliably. If a brand-new vulcanized platen is preferred, it can be requested upon ordering for an additional £150 (requires a 4-week lead time for custom re-rubbering before dispatch).

🎨 Cosmetic Condition & Original Accessories

• Cosmetic Presentation: Authentic vintage condition. The original cream/grey metal body presents well, though it is not cosmetically perfect—exhibiting authentic surface marks on the front, sides, and main marks on the lid and sides in form our surface rust spots. All reflected in cost. 

• Rescued Workshop Detail: Following our extensive mechanical deep-flush, the internal mechanism exhibits minor, authentic age marks on the inner frame, fully treated and stabilized for smooth performance.

• Keytop Condition: Individual keycaps are meticulously hand-cleaned, sanitized, and crisp to the touch. Minor age marks. please inspect all photos of the typewriter. 

• Original Carrying Case  : Comes complete with its original protective carrying case in OK condition with marks on the inside and surface crack on the side of the case, can be seen in one of the pictures. Does not affect usage or clipping. 

✍️ Typeface & Font Details

• Typeface Style: Rare, distinctive Modern Congress #91 Typeface (as catalogued in official Olympia documentation).

• Font Pitch: 10 Characters Per Inch (10 CPI / Elite pitch)—delivering a bold, distinct, and highly legible aesthetic ideal for manuscript drafting, creative prose, and personal correspondence.

📋 Quick Specifications Overview

Why This Olympia SM9 Is Special

The Olympia SM9 stands out for its legendary durability, handsome Modern Congress #91 typeface, and expert workshop restoration. Whether you’re writing a novel on the road, collecting a piece of mid-century West German history, or simply looking for a dependable writing partner you can rely on day after day, this SM9 delivers form and function in beautifully restored vintage form.

🌍 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 this sturdy typewriter 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 Olympia SM9 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 Olympia 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.

📖 Questions about Olympia typewriters or model history? Explore our master guide: Typewriter FAQ: The Ultimate 100 Questions Answered