All:
The parallels between Tullio Campagnolo and Enzo Ferrari are, of course, quite natural and interesting. Both were: Italian males of the 20th Century, visionaries, entrepreneurs, crusty, passionate, larger than life, and the "old man" of their respective organizations.
When Enzo was near death, vintage Ferrari prices quintupled in some cases as the world realized that an era was ending. The Ferrari that I couldn't afford (mid-'60s V12 2+2 in mint condition) went from $25,000 to 125,000 in a few months.
After Tullio died, there has been (much more slowly I think) a greater appreciation in the world for what he had accomplished (of course, we in the bike community knew it already, but we're a small "fringe element" that reveres children's playthings. "Oh, you worked in a cycle shop? Honda or Yamaha?")
The difference is that we vintage lightweight bike nuts are still a very small number of people worldwide, and we don't have the money that the Ferraristi have, so vintage Campy has never really "gone through the roof" so to speak. (Also, the production figures were higher to start with). NOS parts do seem to run about 3-4 times their previous final retail cost, but the bikes with the parts on them remain a great value in many cases (particularly when compared to current, TIG-welded bikes that cost $4000).
One thing to keep in mind throughout all of this is that both men founded companies to pursue their passion and make money. In the case of Ferrari, he sold production versions of his race cars to the public. The appeal of them is that they are closely related to the race versions that plied the famous tracks around the world (yes, if you had enough money he would build you darn near anything, but that's always been true - think of the sultan of Brunei - he's got Aston Martin, Maserati, Ferrari, and Lamborghini station wagons). Ferraris were / are extremely low-volume production vehicles. Drive them daily, or stuff them in your garage and only bring them out on dry sunny days - who cares? You aren't a bad or good person because of how you treat your possessions. What matters is how you treat other human beings.
Now, in the case of vintage racing bikes, often they are the exact same stuff that TdF riders won with! Now that's cool! I'll never be able to afford (nor would I necessarily even want if I could afford it) a $3 million vintage race Ferrari, but I can afford a $1000 vintage Raleigh Team 753, Masi, Colnago, DeRosa, Guerciotti, LeJeune, etc. (insert your favorite here). I have way more than I can ride regularly. Some are set up as "good users" so I needn't "worry" about them deteriorating from use. Others are pristene original examples, and mostly hang up in my shop, getting ridden only occasionally, and shown proudly to friends who are brave enough to get me started talking vintage lightweights. To be blunt, I don't really give a s*** what most other folks may think about my hobby and how I enjoy it, but I will always take the time to carefully explain what I know to someone who asks. Sharing knowledge can only help draw more people into the hobby. This list is intended to be about exactly that; I have discussed "inclusionary" vs. "exclusionary" behavior with Dale many times off-list. It saddens me when I see a few people trying to belittle others or scoff at their particular choice of ride. I am almost certain that many lurkers are afraid to post because of just such behavior.
And so in conclusion, my fellow Bikies, please can't we all get along?
There, I feel much better now.
Greg Parker A2 MI USA
Where I have 6.5 less bikes than a month ago (jpegs of the Nobilette tandem that's FS now available BTW)