Nice post Martin!
Here's more on Constante Girardengo from the CR list archives at: http://search.bikelist.org
86 matches for "Girardengo":
http://search.bikelist.org/
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California
Martin Appel wrote:
>
> Hallo Dave,
>
> about the correct spelling:
> the name of the bicycle company is "Girardengo", founded by the great
> champion by the name of "Costante Girardengo" and his two sons Luciano
> and Ettore in Alessandria, Novi Ligure, Italy.
> i found a website of a local newspaper that have a picture archive
> online; if you check out
> http://www.grumonevano.com/
> you'll see a proof of the correct spelling of Girardengo's first and
> last name.
>
> As of the bicycles coming from a prison, i found a notice on the web
> http://marketingesport.datasport.it/
> which, if my limited knowledge of the italian language doesn't betray
> me, says that the assembly of the Girardengo Bicycles was moved to
> the prison of Alessandria, Novi Ligure only in the *mid-seventies*.
> AFAIK, the company had seized to make top-level frames at that time
> and produced midlevel stuff.
> But maybe some listmembers can shed light on that?
>
> (in another picture,
> http://www.grumonevano.com/
> we see what miht be a factory entrance(?), and in
> http://www.grumonevano.com/
> we see a typical racing scene in the fifties.
> the other pictures are on
> http://www.grumonevano.com/
>
> Martin Appel,
> proud owner of a Girardengo frame that his uncle claims to have bought new in
> 1951 for 150 DM in Munich, Germany.
>
> dm> Dennis Stone (Stones Cycles, Alameda Ca) once told me that
> dm> many years ago, they began selling Gharidengo(sp?) cycles. One day
> dm> his uncle came into the shop to announce that the Gharidengo bikes
> dm> were made by prisoner labor. They felt that it was unethical and
> dm> stopped selling the Gharidengo.
>
> dm> Maybe going there this afternoon-- Stones Cycles... Not prison.
> dm> Dave Martinez
> dm> Fremont Ca