Pete wrote:
> Does any of the members out there know anything of a link between these two
> companies ? Did DeRosa once build frames for Benotto ? I have seen quite a few
> Benotto frames with a trademark DeRosa heart cutout in the BB shell and the
> 3000 model of the late 70s early 80s had the trademark diamante section
> chainstays with DuBois lugs. I have been told by (I Believe) a reliable source
> that
> Benotto never actually made frames in Italy, they were made by someone else and
> that the only production facility that they ever had is in mexico. Another
> version is that the production transferred there sometime in the mid eighties
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but your imagined reliable source isn't very dependable this time. Firstly, Benotto as an Italian builder is far older than De Rosa, Colnago, Cinelli, Masi... They were founded in 1931 and were already a highly revered brand before the start of WWII. Cino Cinelli raced for Benotto as did many top name riders through the years. I know of at least 4 Benotto cambio corsa bikes/frames from the 40's-50's, in the hands of CR listmembers: Aldo Ross has one, Curtis Anthony has one and I have two (the one on the CR Benotto webpage and another in Italy that I will be bringing over shortly). I also have a 1940's Benotto track bike. An Olympic gold medal was also won in 1948 on a Benotto bike...
As far as the 'trademark' heart cut-out on the bottom bracket of De Rosa bikes, I have owned many De Rosa frames (including two in my garage right now) and none of them has ever had a heart cut-out. The heart-shaped cut-out was therefore not deemed to be a defining feature of De Rosa bikes, even though certain frames do have them. Anybody could use a heart cut-out if they so desired.
It is my understanding that initially, Benotto himself did build the frames carrying the family name. The subsequent generations were seemingly not as directly involved with production, so by the time that the move to Mexico did take place 40 years later, it is completely possible that no member of the Benotto family was involved in production and that the frames were made outside, just like what happened with parts of the production of Colnago, Masi, Pinarello, Cinelli... etc. De Rosa is one of the rare companies that only made in house in those years. This in-house production also did mean that they never really had excess production capacity, so it is highly unlikely that they would have built for Benotto.
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Steven Maasland
Moorestown, NJ