Mercedes K45 is a portable typewriter model that was produced at the Mercedes typewriter factory in the Zella-Mehlis city of DDR. That was the last Mercedes brand typewriter produced in DDR before the state has decided to move all of the country’s portable typewriter production to the typewriter factories at Dresden. Interestingly enough, this factory has no connection to the well-known vehicle manufacturer. There was an agreement between the two, however, that made it so the typewriter manufacturer could use the brand name only for the office machines, while Daimler was allowed to use it only for the production of vehicles.
Constructively Mercedes K45 is close to portable Underwoods of the time, because some time before the start of the K45 model the factories were bought by the Underwood and they have decided to start producing their own portables there. The typewriter has the color switch so that it would be able to use by-color ribbons.
As far as we know, K45 model typewriters were produced in black, gray and grayish-green colors.
