Olivetti vintage M40 typewriter (1930/1940), with long carriage It was designed between 1929 and 1930 by Camillo Olivetti with Gino Levi Martinoli, head of projects and studies created in 1929 to replace the Olivetti M20. The design and the production lasted longer than expected due to the precision tooling that has been given to the machine. When it finally went into production, even in a time of crisis such as that of the great depression, he found the favour of customers, who appreciated the higher quality, the writing speed and lightness of touch keyboard. After the M20, with whom Olivetti had entered into international markets, with the M40 rivalled typewriters that back then were most famous. The keyboard is in the QZERTY layout, as typical of Italian keyboards (excluding modern computer keyboards). In addition to writing keys, the keyboard includes a space bar, two uppercase keys, a caps lock key, the return key and a tab key. The writing key set has an obvious lack: no key with the number 1 that is obtained by using the letter l (el) lowercase or the I (i) upper-case; also there is no zero, which is obtained by typing the upper-case O (o). Although this may seem strange today, it was quite common in old typewriters. Also keys for accented capitals, used to write in Italian language, are missing. The typewriter was sold with five different possible lengths of the carriage: 90, 120, 160, 200 and 250 spaces. The main differences between the first version of 1930 and 1938 are the leg, square instead of round, body coils covers were added, side closure, closure on the carriage’s back, and different designs/lettering on the body. Between the second and the third one it has the basket cover, a glass covering the front lettering, feet covered by sheet metal, all designed by Luigi Figini and Gino Pollini.