1960s Smith-Corona Corsair Deluxe
Up for sale is a cute little Smith-Corona Corsair Deluxe which was manufactured in England sometime in the late '60s or early '70s. A unique thing about this machine is that it has a French keyboard (although not in the French AZERTY layout, it does have French characters). This typewriter is in excellent shape both cosmetically and mechanically, and is fully functional right down to the bell. Universal ribbons do not fit this machine, however Corsair Deluxe ribbons can be commonly found elsewhere online, otherwise the original spools in this machine can be re-thread once the current ribbon dries up.
This would not be my first recommendation for a workhorse to be used heavily for something like a novel, however this typewriter is great for the occasional writer or anyone interested in making the move to a manual typewriter, as this one is very easy to use and care for despite not using universal ribbons sold on this site. The owner's manual for this machine can be downloaded for free here:
http://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/SCCorsairDeluxe.pdf
If you're looking for a first-time portable that can be used frequently for smaller writing tasks, then this is an excellent choice. The light-weight and portable design is also an added bonus for those looking for an extremely portable typer.