1974 Olivetti Lettera 32 Typewriter • Rare Deep Navy Blue • 085 Cubic Typeface
$999.00
Skip to product information
The Typewriter Mechanic
OLIVETTI LETTERA 32
Deep Navy Blue • 085 Cubic Typeface • Spanish Market • Original Case
Every so often, a machine appears that refuses to fit comfortably into the categories collectors already know.
This Lettera 32 is one of them.
It carries a remarkably deep navy finish unlike the gray, teal, or lighter blue examples most collectors have encountered. The paint extends consistently throughout the machine and appears to be a factory finish, though I cannot document that with absolute certainty. If it is a repaint, it is indeed the most meticulous I have ever seen. My own opinion is that it is original.
Then there is the typeface.
The type slugs identify this machine as carrying 085 Cubic, one of Olivetti’s geometric alternative faces. On its own, that would already make this an unusual Lettera 32. Combined with the deep navy finish, Spanish-language keyboard, and fitted case, it becomes a machine I have been unable to match with another currently offered in the United States.
The Machine
A VERY UNCOMMON LETTERA 32
This Lettera 32 was manufactured in Spain and retains its Spanish-language keyboard, fitted carrying case, and serial number 6397534. The familiar mechanical architecture is all there: compact dimensions, light carriage, nimble action, and the easy portability that helped make the Lettera 32 one of Olivetti’s most enduring machines.
Its appearance is anything but ordinary.
During the research for this listing I searched for comparable examples with this finish and typeface. Standard Lettera 32s are easy to find. Blue ones are less common. Cubic examples surface only occasionally. A deep navy Spanish-market Lettera 32 carrying 085 Cubic proved considerably more elusive.
That does not prove uniqueness.
It does suggest this is one of those machines that quietly escaped broad notice while spending decades in somebody else’s life before finding its way here.
The Typeface
OLIVETTI 085 CUBIC
Cubic changes the personality of the page completely. Instead of familiar serifed typewriter characters, the letters arrive squared, geometric, and distinctly modern. There is something architectural about them — clean, deliberate, and wonderfully at odds with the soft curves and compact proportions of the Lettera 32 itself.
It is the sort of typeface that makes ordinary writing feel designed. Letters, labels, notes, headings, and even mundane lists take on a graphic character that standard Pica simply does not provide.
From the Bench
BENCH NOTES
The machine has been prepared for sale and tested through normal typing, with its principal writing functions operating properly before shipment. The keyboard, carriage movement, paper feed, spacing, and ribbon system have been evaluated in ordinary use. A ribbon is included with purchase.
AT THE KEYBOARD
The Lettera 32 earns its reputation in use. The action is light, nimble, and quick, with short key travel and very little mechanical bulk between your hands and the page.
The Cubic face gives that familiar Olivetti feel an entirely different result. The machine remains graceful and quick beneath the fingers while the letters land with square shoulders and surprising visual authority. It is a lovely machine for sustained writing, but also one that invites you to invent reasons to type.
THE FINISH
The finish is the story.
The deep navy enamel remains rich, glossy, and remarkably well preserved. It has a depth that photographs struggle to capture, shifting between midnight blue and nearly black depending on the light. Against it, the cream keyboard provides exactly the contrast the machine needs.
The finish continues convincingly around edges, beneath removable panels, and across the machine in a manner consistent with factory application. I have found no obvious evidence of a casual repaint. Still, without factory documentation, I prefer to describe it carefully rather than make a claim I cannot prove.
If another example surfaces tomorrow, I will be delighted to learn something new. Until then, this is the only Lettera 32 I have personally encountered in this configuration.
CASE & INCLUDED ITEMS
* Olivetti Lettera 32 manual typewriter
* Fitted carrying case
* A ribbon is included with purchase
The carrying case shows age and use appropriate to a vintage portable and should be considered separately from the cosmetic condition of the machine itself. Please review the detailed photographs for its exact condition.
SEE THE 085 CUBIC TYPEFACE
Curious how this machine types? I’m happy to provide a short typed sample by request — a sentence or two of your choosing, within reason — so you can see the actual imprint, alignment, and ribbon performance before purchase.
SHIPPING
The machine will be immobilized, packed with serious care for modern parcel shipping, and fully insured. Shipping is buyer-paid via UPS.
A Note About Vintage Machines
PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASE
This is a vintage mechanical typewriter, carefully tested and described according to its condition before shipment. It will be packed with serious care and fully insured. Because these machines are often 50–100 years old, minor adjustment may occasionally be needed after transit, even when properly packed. Slight alignment variance, ribbon behavior, or small mechanical quirks can be part of vintage typewriter ownership. Please review the photos and condition notes closely, and feel free to ask questions before purchase.
The Typewriter Mechanic
Real machines. Real stories.
1974 Olivetti Lettera 32 Typewriter • Rare Deep Navy Blue • 085 Cubic Typeface
$999.00
OLIVETTI LETTERA 32
Deep Navy Blue • 085 Cubic Typeface • Spanish Market • Original Case
Every so often, a machine appears that refuses to fit comfortably into the categories collectors already know.
This Lettera 32 is one of them.
It carries a remarkably deep navy finish unlike the gray, teal, or lighter blue examples most collectors have encountered. The paint extends consistently throughout the machine and appears to be a factory finish, though I cannot document that with absolute certainty. If it is a repaint, it is indeed the most meticulous I have ever seen. My own opinion is that it is original.
Then there is the typeface.
The type slugs identify this machine as carrying 085 Cubic, one of Olivetti’s geometric alternative faces. On its own, that would already make this an unusual Lettera 32. Combined with the deep navy finish, Spanish-language keyboard, and fitted case, it becomes a machine I have been unable to match with another currently offered in the United States.
The Machine
A VERY UNCOMMON LETTERA 32
This Lettera 32 was manufactured in Spain and retains its Spanish-language keyboard, fitted carrying case, and serial number 6397534. The familiar mechanical architecture is all there: compact dimensions, light carriage, nimble action, and the easy portability that helped make the Lettera 32 one of Olivetti’s most enduring machines.
Its appearance is anything but ordinary.
During the research for this listing I searched for comparable examples with this finish and typeface. Standard Lettera 32s are easy to find. Blue ones are less common. Cubic examples surface only occasionally. A deep navy Spanish-market Lettera 32 carrying 085 Cubic proved considerably more elusive.
That does not prove uniqueness.
It does suggest this is one of those machines that quietly escaped broad notice while spending decades in somebody else’s life before finding its way here.
The Typeface
OLIVETTI 085 CUBIC
Cubic changes the personality of the page completely. Instead of familiar serifed typewriter characters, the letters arrive squared, geometric, and distinctly modern. There is something architectural about them — clean, deliberate, and wonderfully at odds with the soft curves and compact proportions of the Lettera 32 itself.
It is the sort of typeface that makes ordinary writing feel designed. Letters, labels, notes, headings, and even mundane lists take on a graphic character that standard Pica simply does not provide.
From the Bench
BENCH NOTES
The machine has been prepared for sale and tested through normal typing, with its principal writing functions operating properly before shipment. The keyboard, carriage movement, paper feed, spacing, and ribbon system have been evaluated in ordinary use. A ribbon is included with purchase.
AT THE KEYBOARD
The Lettera 32 earns its reputation in use. The action is light, nimble, and quick, with short key travel and very little mechanical bulk between your hands and the page.
The Cubic face gives that familiar Olivetti feel an entirely different result. The machine remains graceful and quick beneath the fingers while the letters land with square shoulders and surprising visual authority. It is a lovely machine for sustained writing, but also one that invites you to invent reasons to type.
THE FINISH
The finish is the story.
The deep navy enamel remains rich, glossy, and remarkably well preserved. It has a depth that photographs struggle to capture, shifting between midnight blue and nearly black depending on the light. Against it, the cream keyboard provides exactly the contrast the machine needs.
The finish continues convincingly around edges, beneath removable panels, and across the machine in a manner consistent with factory application. I have found no obvious evidence of a casual repaint. Still, without factory documentation, I prefer to describe it carefully rather than make a claim I cannot prove.
If another example surfaces tomorrow, I will be delighted to learn something new. Until then, this is the only Lettera 32 I have personally encountered in this configuration.
CASE & INCLUDED ITEMS
* Olivetti Lettera 32 manual typewriter
* Fitted carrying case
* A ribbon is included with purchase
The carrying case shows age and use appropriate to a vintage portable and should be considered separately from the cosmetic condition of the machine itself. Please review the detailed photographs for its exact condition.
SEE THE 085 CUBIC TYPEFACE
Curious how this machine types? I’m happy to provide a short typed sample by request — a sentence or two of your choosing, within reason — so you can see the actual imprint, alignment, and ribbon performance before purchase.
SHIPPING
The machine will be immobilized, packed with serious care for modern parcel shipping, and fully insured. Shipping is buyer-paid via UPS.
A Note About Vintage Machines
PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASE
This is a vintage mechanical typewriter, carefully tested and described according to its condition before shipment. It will be packed with serious care and fully insured. Because these machines are often 50–100 years old, minor adjustment may occasionally be needed after transit, even when properly packed. Slight alignment variance, ribbon behavior, or small mechanical quirks can be part of vintage typewriter ownership. Please review the photos and condition notes closely, and feel free to ask questions before purchase.
The Typewriter Mechanic
Real machines. Real stories.