model100-2

...mysterious Model 100 revealed!

The previous page concerning the Model 100 was constructed, as near as I can figure, in early March 2003. It is now March 2004, and just a few days longer than one year later, I've finally gotten my hands on one of these machines.

Yes; it's the same machine. The manuals show two slightly different varieties, which differ only in minor details such as size and shape of carriage return lever, and ribbon selector lever. Other than that, the two manuals show the same machine, mechanically. At right, the Model 100 revealed -- labelled 'Jordi Traveler.'

Above, internal shot from manual; right, similar view of actual Jordi Traveler. Note carriage spring on left, just to left of segment, and ribbon selector mechanism on right, near (but below and inboard of) right ribbon spool.

It is now proven that the main part of the Model 100, or Jordi Traveler in this case, is actually a perfect copy of the Tippa. At left, Triumph Tippa, and below, similar detail shot of the Tippa. All other design features are the same, large or small. Naturally, one wonders just how or when this design got into the hands of the Chinese maker, now almost assured to be KOFA / Chee-May (Goh's) Ltd.

And, yes, the Jordi Traveler bears a label on the back with that name, and below that "Made in China." The Chee-May Ltd. organization was started all the way back in 1966, but according to its site didn't get into manufacturing until around 1977. However, knowing the nature of companies over there, it may simply have been at that latter date that operations with some other company were merged, and this machine's manufacture in China may either pre- or post- date 1977. We just don't know.

We do know that in the late 1960's, the Tippa line was enhanced by the addition of a Tippa S model. This was housed in a new body, but the old body continued in production. Around 1973, the machine was altered to include basket shift; the old body was gone. (See Royal Sahara at right for this new version.) This resulted in a total rearrangement of internals, and appears to have been simultaneous with a shift in production from Germany to the Netherlands. (I have duplicate manuals for these machines, dated 1973, but one is printed in the Netherlands and two in Germany.) This may have been a move to the old facilities of Royal-McBee Netherlands NV. Of course, this would have been easy at that time, as the concerns were fully merged. A brief Tippa-related history follows.

1948: P. Gossen GmbH first manufactures its little Tippa portable, which soon becomes an award-winning machine in its size class. (See the Voss Privat article for some more background.) 1954: Royal begins manufacturing typewriters in the Netherlands, after buying the firm responsible for the Halberg, which Royal places into production as its Royalite. Soon, production of the Diana portable is moved from Mannheim Germany to this plant (Royal McBee Nederlands NV.) 1956-1958: Grundig, who already owned Triumph and Adler, buys out Gossen and integrates Tippa production under the older two brand names. At this time, the body seen on the tan-colored Tippa pictured on this page is introduced, perhaps slightly before or slightly after the buyout. 1968: Litton Industries buys the whole office-related business from Grundig, including Triumph and Adler, and the Tippa (naturally) along with them. ca. 1973: Apparently, the older carriage-shifted machine is dropped in favor of the new basket-shifted machine, which appears variously under Triumph, Adler and Royal brand names (see blue Royal Sahara above.)

Judging by the rough timeline above, and the range of years in which Chee-May may have begun manufacture by the information on its site, there's no reason to find this machine to be anything other than the older carriage-shifted Tippa, placed into production somewhere else. This happened a LOT, as my regular readers are well aware.

But there's one little problem with the Model 100. That's the fact that the carriage is NOT that of the Tippa, or even close, and the machine uses a modified "rear end" to carry its grafted-on and "gotten somewhere else" carriage.

Here, I should observe that my first basic assumption, which was that the carriage was derived from the small Olympia SF series machines (one of these is seen here) was correct. But the carriage has been radically simplified; features have been altered, and changed, such as the paper release and carriage release. But, the line space mechanism, and the distinctive paper arm which pops up when a tiny lever on the right side of the carriage is operated, are identical. In most every way, those features are PERFECTLY identical. The Model 100 also has the see-through plastic, on the carriage, with pointers to indicate margin positions, as on the Olympia machines.

As we know, the SF series was supplemented by the larger SKF series beginning in about 1971. That machine, usually seen as the Olympia Traveller De Luxe, was in a new angular body. (This machine was later placed in production by UNIS of Sarajevo Yugoslavia, whose UNIS TBM DE LUXE is seen at left.) The new machine had a slightly different carriage; was the design sold to China?

Collector Bruce Beard had the idea that perhaps these Model 100 machines were cobbled together from parts left over from typewriter production that had ended. Did Chee-May simply buy up LOTS of parts, and cobble together typewriters? For now, we cannot be sure. What we CAN be sure of is that the Model 100 (I call it that because everywhere you see these, that's what they're called, no matter the brand) is a carriage shifted Tippa with a modified Olympia SF carriage.

Left: the Jordi Traveler. Who could have imagined that this unassuming little machine would have such a great pedigree? Only time will allow us to find out more about this machine's exact design development in China. But we've identified one more machine that had, for a while, been very mysterious indeed.