Typewriter Talk / Different line spacing options on the same Smith Corona Electra 120's?

**Posted by Kalani** 15-1-2023 10:29:37

I have 2 Smith Corona Electra 120's.
Line spacing on one is 1,2,3
Line spacing on the other is 1, 1-1/2, 2

Why was the 1-1/2 line spacing made in one and not another? Different year? Markets (euro vs usa)?
k

**Posted by Uwe** 15-1-2023 16:22:12

Based on my memory, the change to the line spacing option was not unique to the Electra.

Smith-Corona changed the 1-2-3 spacing to 1-1.5-2 across its entire portable range, my guess would be in the early '60s. However, I couldn't tell you whether they were all changed the same model year, or if there were some models that weren't actually changed, without doing a little digging.

**Posted by OregonJim** 15-1-2023 18:09:36

I've got 8 Smith-Corona 6-series portables, both manual and electric, ranging in age from 1965 to 1975. The line spacing change doesn't seem to be tied to a particular date, as I have variations of each (1-2-3 and 1-1 1/2-2) in both the earliest and latest models. Could it have been a special-order option, like the typefaces? I don't recall seeing any advertisements that offered a choice, so maybe not.

**Posted by Uwe** 15-1-2023 18:41:41

Are you saying that you have models from the '70s with the 1-2-3 spacing? If that's the case, my collection has been deceiving me because all of my early '60s (and '50s) have the 1-2-3, and the later models are all 1-1.5-2.

I've never seen/noticed line spacing being offered as an option either.

**Posted by Kalani** 15-1-2023 19:51:15

Uwe wrote:
Are you saying that you have models from the '70s with the 1-2-3 spacing? If that's the case, my collection has been deceiving me because all of my early '60s (and '50s) have the 1-2-3, and the later models are all 1-1.5-2.

I've never seen/noticed line spacing being offered as an option either.

The 1-1/2 line spacing is on my 1968 Smith Corona Electra 120.

I wonder if all of th SC Electra and also the Coronet and Galaxie series after a certain year came with the 1-1/2 line spacing. Or maybe it varied by model?
Or maybe those sold in the European market offered 1-1/2 line spacing.

k

**Posted by MartinD** 15-1-2023 20:39:43

I have a 1968 Classic 12 with elite font that has the 1-1.5-2 line spacing and two Galaxie 12's, both pica font with 1-2-3 spacing from 1975 and '76. I have 5 SCM electrics from late 60's and early 70's with a mixture of the two fonts, Coronets , Sears Medalist, Electra's, that have 1-1.5-2-2.5-3 ability.

**Posted by OregonJim** 15-1-2023 20:43:25

Uwe wrote:
Are you saying that you have models from the '70s with the 1-2-3 spacing? If that's the case, my collection has been deceiving me because all of my early '60s (and '50s) have the 1-2-3, and the later models are all 1-1.5-2.

I've never seen/noticed line spacing being offered as an option either.

I just opened all the cases and double-checked.

Machines with 1-2-3 spacing:

1968 Electra 220
1968 Coronet Electric
1969 Galaxie XII
1969 Galaxie Deluxe

Machines with 1-1 1/2-2 spacing:

1965 Electra 120
1967 Classic 10
1973 Classic 12
1975 Classic 12

**Posted by robmck** 15-1-2023 21:08:29

Perhaps something that was offered as an option in earlier years and became standard later (possibly because of a high rate of people choosing that option)?

**Posted by OregonJim** 15-1-2023 22:52:12

It could also be that our available reference data for Smith-Corona is not entirely accurate. I had to extrapolate the manufacture date of my Galaxie Deluxe, for example, based on available (earlier) data and adjusting by the approx. number of machines produced each year.

**Posted by Kalani** 16-1-2023 09:51:13

It seems the "regular" spacing, noted as "1", "2", "3" are more common.

Is this true?