The asynchronous serial protocol supported an optional parity bit, which could make the total number of "1" bits an even number or an odd number. As discussed in this question, parity could theoretically detect an error in the transmission; but it also added additional time for transmission, errors were relatively rare, the parity scheme could only detect an error rather than identify the correct value, and ignoring errors was much easier than establishing a protocol to correct them. Thus, most of the equipment that I have seen ship with parity turned off by default. I have seen a few items that shipped with even parity.
However, I don't recall odd parity ever being chosen as the default setting. Did any equipment (e.g. computers, teletypes, modems) have odd parity as the default factory setting? (or perhaps the only available setting?)
The mere ability to choose another parity setting is not what is being asked; most equipment was capable of that. Rather, the question is about the manufacturer's default setting. Presumably, this would be the setting that the manufacturer thought would be most useful for that particular application.
Also, the question is about parity used for serial communication, not as used in memory or other contexts.