1931 Duo-Tone Remington Porto-Rite
Up for sale is an uncommon Remington Porto-Rite which was likely made in 1931 and sold by Sears-Roebuck. As said on Richard Polt's Remington Portables website, the earliest known Porto-Rite serial number was SR5145. This machine's serial number is SR7336, meaning it was made in the earlier stage of production for the Porto-Rite, although only (estimated) 11,500 were manufactured. See the second picture to view some of the only information that is readily available on this model. If it is hard to read, right-click on the image's thumbnail and click, "open link in new tab" to fully enlarge the image.
For those not familiar with most Remington Portables, this one has collapsible typebars. There's a small knob on the right-hand side of the body which you have to pull in order to begin typing, and then before stowing back in the case, you have to collapse the typebars again. Additionally, the carriage knob must be pulled out for use, then pushed back in for stowage. This also locks the carriage. Both of these features allow the typewriter (which was one of the most portable back in that time) to fit inside the carrying case.
This typewriter is fully functional right down to the bell. In addition, this Porto-Rite has a brand new carriage drawband, and new rubber all around (feed rollers, platen, feet- everything rubber has been replaced) meaning this typewriter can be used reliably for many years to come despite its old age. This machine is in wonderful cosmetic condition, with only a few scratches and areas of missing paint. The Duo-Tone green paint on this machine is really something special, and went along with the paint schemes used on cars from the era.
The case for this typewriter has some wear, but it's certainly done its job in preserving this typewriter over the years. While the original leather handle is still in-tact, the latch does not work, thus you can't depend on carrying this typewriter around worry-free as you may with others, even if you did trust that the old leather handle won't break.
This machine would have normally gone into my collection in a heartbeat, but I have decided to put it up for sale.
Porto-Rites are rare enough, but finding a duo-tone Porto-Rite in this kind of condition is even harder to find.
If you're looking for a truly impressive machine that has it all- from functionality to mesmerizing classic looks, this piece of history is a really great choice.