David Cowie wrote:
>
(cut)
> In Germany, it is (was?) common for the factory to omit the model plate
> from the rear of a Mercedes Benz , at the buyers request, so it could
> not be identified by a simple glance. This was a status symbol .This
> flies in the face of the American status seeker...
When I started riding as an adult in 1976 there was an interesting phenomenon going on in the local bike scene here in Southern California (maybe else where in the US also?).
Guys would get their race bikes repainted without decals and have the headbadge removed. The thinking was that if you had to ask what their bike was, you were not a "member of the club". Arrogant? Snobbish? Testosterone poisoning? I guess boys will be boys.
The Peter Johnson bike pictured on my web site is a reflection of this period.
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California http://www.velo-retro.com
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