The white featherweights were the last ones (1960's) made by Singer. By that time, women were wanting machines with fancy stitches and featherweights only straight stitched and were relatively expensive to produce. Singer tried to reduce the cost of production by making a machine with no chrome, direct wired it to the motor and put it in cheaper case (some looked like chubby little leatherette gray or turquoise suitcases) with no tray for the attachments. The stitch selector lever was made of plastic and there was no switch for the light (it came on when you plugged the machine in). I've never thought that the white ones stitched as well as the black machines and they are noisier.