Imperial 55 (1937-61)

The Imperial 55
 
First year of production:  1937
 
Company:  Imperial Typewriter Co., Leicester, England
 
(Good working order)
 
When Arthur Pateman designed the Imperial Model 50 standard-size typewriter in 1926, he managed to incorporate in it Hidalgo Moya's concept of interchangeable keyboards and typebaskets - used on the downstrike Imperial portables, Models A through to D (1908-1919).
 
Pateman's success in including the same interchangeable keyboard-typebasket feature in frontstrike typewriters was continued on through all his subsequent Imperial standards - the Models 55, 59, 60, 65 and 66 (1937-1954).
 
History:
 
1926: Invented Imperial's first standard-size typewriter, the Model 50. This typewriter was, mechanically, to remain virtually unchanged until Litton Industries took over Imperial 40 years later. It turned into the Imperial 55 (1937), Imperial 58 (1948), Imperial 60 (1949), Imperial 65 (1952), Imperial 66 (1954), "Doppelgänger" (1957) and Imperial 70 (1962). Under Litton, it became the Imperial 80 (Series I 1968, Series II 1970).