Hello all, I just became the proud owner of a NIB Electrolux model L It's never been used, the original electric hose is airtight, and all accessories are as they came from the factory. The seller didn't have a new cordwinder, so he repainted one that was otherwise in excellent condition. I also got a nearly new, matching PN-1. As the story goes, the prior owner didn't like using it, so it was swapped for a non-electric hose and regular floor tool. The attached images were taken by the seller and are used by permission.  I'll add my own images to this thread in the coming days. This is the first and will be the only brand-new vintage vacuum in my modest collection. Having one was on my bucket list, and this was a logical choice for me.

I've liked the L since I first saw one in 1977, and the teal version is my favorite.  I never thought of buying one new after I was on my own and they were still in production. In retrospect I wish I had, but better late than never. I will use this vac sparingly with a 'lux vinyl pigtail hose and my 1205's attachments, so the L's will remain pristine.

Joel

I've always loved the sound of the L motor too, especially when there's a cordwinder because the exhaust door louvers change the sound to pretty much just rushing air. I listen to it and try to imagine how quiet a hospital G is. I have other Electroluxes that are more powerful, but I often reach for my gold L because its sound is so pleasing to my ears. Now I have this beauty.

Joel

Jon, the owner's manual is dated 1971. Regarding motors and their sounds, I've observed that the early L's sound significantly different from the later ones. I've been inside at least one early L with the same 14-pole, 28-bar armature as the G motor of the period. Later L motors had the same 22-pole, 22-bar armature as the 1205 motors. I will speculate that Electrolux changed the L to the new motor when they introduced the teal version in 1968, the same year the 1205 came out. It makes sense that they would use the same motor (except for the mounting plate, of course) in both the L and the 1205, and end production of the older motor.

Funny memory, sometime in the fall of 1968 when I went with my dad to get bags, the salesman was talking up the new motor in the 1205 with its bigger carbon brushes. I don't recall his mentioning any other upgrades, and I remember thinking that upgrading only the brushes wouldn't accomplish a thing.

It hadn't occurred to me that the L with a cordwinder is today's Lux Classic. Having recently acquired a Lux Classic, I see your point.  Both are basic, no-frills machines that get the job done. I sure do like my Classic's N115V power nozzle. This is my first L-shaped one, and it's a big improvement over my PN-1's, PN-2, and PN-4a.

Joel

Sad to say, the factory box was badly damaged in transit. One whole corner of it was torn open. The corners are reinforced, so it wasn't a minor bump. Fortunately the vacuum was double boxed and none of the contents was damaged. Since the factory box is holds part of the value of the unit, one could argue that I could make a damage claim. But I think it would be difficult to place a value on the box, and a waste of time to try to get FedEx to pay anything. I can hear them laughing at me.

Question for collectors: should I attempt to repair the box, or leave it as-is? I ask because in vintage model train collecting circles, boxes add considerably to a model's value, sometimes fetching prices higher than the model itself. There are strict standards for repairing boxes, using archival tape and so on. I'd need something a bit stronger to repair this box! Even though I can no safely longer transport the vacuum in it, I will not throw it away.

Rugsucker, I have since removed the above floor tool from its packaging and attached it to the storage clip. The above images were taken by the seller, who didn't unpack every piece. Because I have a cordwinder, I haven't unwrapped the cord and don't plan to. The cordwinder isn't original to the vacuum; I just like their convenience, and to me the vacuum looks more complete with it. This won't be a DD, so the extra weight isn't a factor.

I hadn't thought of using reinforced glue-based paper tape to shore up the factory box from the inside, but it seems made-to-order for this purpose. I'll look for it at my local stores. Surely someone will have it. If not a hardware store or home center, an office supply store.

Joel