[CR]Italian 3V - Alberto or Faliero (IP Merkin)

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing)



Every Italian 3V I've seen had Alberto's signature, with one exception. I've got a Masi catalog from Ten Speed Drive Imports, and the 3V looks to be an earlier Alberto model (fork crown, seat stay, lettering, but before he went to internal top tube routing), but the "Masi" signature on the side of the fork blade looks to be the last name cut out from a Faliero Masi signature decal. There was no signature on the top tube, however; it must have been on the non-drive side (as was done in the Torelli days). I got the impression that they must have just started inporting them... the 3V geometry is missing from their chart.

I heard an interesting story (subject, of course, to rebuttals from other list members) from a fellow who knew the Masi family (and who used to bring in a few frames from the Vigorelli once in a while). He said that at first, Masi USA (or whatever it was called back then) imported Alberto's bikes and sold them in the US. At some point, however, they figured out that they could make 'em themselves, so they got lugs cast and just left Alberto out in the cold. It's an interesting story, even if it's not accurate. I owned an early 90s American 3V, and it's darned easy to tell one apart from one of Alberto's bikes. It had different fork crowns, seat stay caps, lug stamping, bottom bracket shell and serial number arrangement. It also had different tubing. Alberto used Excell tubing, and the US bikes used various tubing (True Temper, Reynolds, and Columbus), depending, I suppose, on whether the frame was made in the US or by Mondonico.

IP Merkin
Providence, RI



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