Norris Lockley wrote:
>
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> my mistake stemmed from a superb photo of Kubler streaking along "on the hooks" of his Fiorelli, on the cover page of an early 50s Fiorelli brochure.
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> To help date the brochure.. it launches the new Campagnolo Gran Sport rear mech - the one with the drilled jockey wheels. When did this come out?
Here's the pertinent development years for the Gran Sport rear derailleur from the Campagnolo Timeline (www.velo-retro.com):
1951 - The Gran Sport single cable, parallelogram rear derailleur (chromed bronze, large chromed mounting bolt and pivot bolt and holes in pulleys, set screw-style cable clamp) paired with bar-end shift levers (chromed bronze, then aluminum) without rubber covers and Gran Sport sliding rod, cable operated front derailleur are introduced, along with conventional small flange three-piece hubs (alloy flanges pressed onto a steel barrel and D-ring type quick release nuts). Hugo Koblet wins the 1951 Tour de France in July using Gran Sport derailleurs.
1951 Catalog Un-Numbered (both Cognin, France and Vincenza, Italy addresses on cover) is printed for year-end trade shows. Included are the Cambio Corsa, Tipo Paris-Roubaix, Gran Sport front and rear derailleurs, Sport front derailleur (no rear version), bar end shifters (no rubber covers) and downtube shift levers (twin band clamp, hexhead bolt friction adjuster, full length cable housing and braze on version shown), small flange three-piece hubs (alloy flanges pressed onto a steel barrel, QRs with "D" ring), Cambio Corsa/Paris-Roubaix toothed dropouts, Cambio Corsa/ Paris-Roubaix with integral derailleur hanger, Gran Sport dropouts with adjusters, Sport dropouts, "H" tool, dishing tool, freewheel remover, cone wrenches and a fixture that accurately locates the toothed dropouts during frame building.
1952 - The Gran Sport Extra rear derailleur (second generation of Gran Sport) is introduced (changed body, large chromed mounting bolt and pivot bolt, holes in pulleys, extended horn shape to the outside pulley cage frame and revised cable clamp) along with the Sport single pulley rear derailleur. The Gran Sport down-tube shift levers are changed to single band clamp with flat-head screw friction adjusters, open cable without housing ("D" ring friction adjuster screw as option). Fausto Coppi wins the 1952 Giro d'Italia and Tour de France using Gran Sport derailleurs.
1952 Catalog Un-Numbered is printed for year-end trade shows. As per 1951 Catalog with the addition of the Gran Sport Extra rear derailleur and the Sport single pulley rear derailleur.
1953 - In August the definitive Gran Sport rear derailleur (third generation of Gran Sport) is introduced: changed body, pulley cage reverts to first version, no holes in pulleys, smaller black- three-piece hubs (alloy flanges pressed onto a steel barrel) are introduced. Fausto Coppi wins the 1953 Lugano World Professional Road Race using Gran Sport derailleurs.
1953 Catalog #12 is printed for the year-end trade shows. Included are the Cambio Corsa, Paris-Roubaix, Gran Sport and Sport rear derailleurs, Gran Sport and Sport front derailleurs, bar end shifters with rubber covers, downtube shifters (single band and braze on versions), brake cable clips, hubs (small and large flange three-piece, QRs with "D" ring), Gran Sport dropouts with adjusters, Sport dropouts, Cambio Corsa/Paris-Roubaix toothed dropouts, Cambio Corsa/Paris-Roubaix toothed dropouts with integral derailleur hanger, pump heads and holder, "H" tool, dishing tool, freewheel remover and cone wrenches.
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California http://www.velo-retro.com (Timelines, reprints & t-shirts)
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