René Herse died in 1976 or so. Lyli and her husband continued, then they had health problems. I am told they had 2 years of orders on the books when they closed shop. It was a bigger operation than Singer, so maybe more affected by various problems. They also had some tax issues, I am told. They closed in 1984, I believe.
Singer - many people said they'd close soon when I first got involved in the late 1990s. It's still tenuous at best. Once Ernest is no longer, nobody knows what will happen. Olivier is a great guy, but he has a job and family, and there is little money in these bikes. Also, he is a racer, so he may not be the best to carry on the tradition of randonneur bikes. Few people understand the intricacies of these bikes today. I certainly have only scratched the surface...
Jan Heine, Seattle