I was still kicking myself for passing up a free Elna machine years ago when I was a sewing novice. I had a whiz-bang machine with 21 stitches from a big box store -- why take some old thing?
I am no longer kicking myself.
I am the recipient of a free 1960s era Elna machine -- the economy model, straight stitch, no drop-in cams, but solid metal and clearly marked "Made in Switzerland." I've confirmed that it works, so my next step is to check under the hood, clean it and lube it. Then I can try sewing with it. I can hardly wait.
And of course, this week we have family in town, so it's going to have to wait. :'(
Hooray for Elnas!
Both my Mom's machine and my own are Elnas, though of slightly more recent vintage than yours. They are fantastic lovely machines.
I love my baby Elnas! I have three Elna Lotus machines, the ZZ, the TSP, and the Stella Air electronic.