 |
| 1988 Consul 2223 8 222 407777 |
Notice that because this Consul was intended for the German market, it does not have the peculiar numerals found on Consuls in English-speaking countries.
I neglected to mention the appearance in my typecast. I like the Uncial logotype; cute and unexpected, coming from Czechoslovakia. The body style is simple, modern, and elegant. The tan/beige color is rather similar to the color used on so many computers in the 1980s; the texture too. I like it.
My own research seems to suggest that Consuls might indeed have been produced between 1988 and 1992; 1988 might just have marked the end of model 2223/2224. More on that when I finish my Consul posts.
Sent from my new Consul 2223
Nice typewriter! This might help from my original (old) website page, now broken (pic links broken) at willdavis.org/consul2.html..
ReplyDelete"Zbrojovka Brno maintained production of typewriters until 1977, at which point it sold rights and tooling to an outfit called RVHP. This was a part of the de-nationalization of Czech industries. That company appears to have survived about eleven years, ending production in 1988. However, by 1992, a new company known as REMAGG Sro had been launched, and began building typewriters under the Consul name. It is not known if these machines actually used the tooling from the original production, although it's likely. The company soon called itself the largest producer of manual and electric typewriters in Europe. Perhaps it was, but in any event it didn't last very long as REMAGG dropped all office machines in 1998."
Your old site and Etcetera article both were the basis of my research, all the years I mentioned in my post were from that. But I've been finding serial number/model correlations that suggest production in 1989. Nothing concrete, but they don't fit in with the idea of a gap between 1988 and 1992.
Delete1988! I've never seen such a late Consul. Hope to see a '90s one on your blog someday. The design reminds me of an Olympia SM8/9 from the side. And I like the way you used the comma as an apostrophe.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly will on my Consul post, but I hope to have one in my possession this year!
DeleteThere is no doubt that the designers were familiar with the SM8/9. It's quite different, but there are similarities.
I thank Piotr for suggesting I use the comma—a lot of the 80s German portables lack an apostrophe, as do some of the other central/eastern European layouts.
Interesting machine indeed. Although it seems to steal design cues from other machines, while somehow managing to look.... blander than the machines it ripped off.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful!!
ReplyDelete