Tom: Thank you for a better explanation of your thought process on this subject than I could have given. In talking to Len this A.M. he did tell me that he couldn't recall a Hetchins 6-Day on the Register with track dropouts, and the trouble is that through a certain year, I believe 1952, according to Len the Hetchins Register doesn't give information on frames as to what dropouts etc.
Peter Naiman
Shorewood, WI
> Pete,
>
> As you know Im just a student of this stuff. And I
> like thinking about it about as much as owning the
> bikes. I do attempt to merge what we believe we know
> with the kind of thinking I used to do as a Product
> Manager (gun industry). I guess that could be called
> conjecture. But my hope is to challenge conventional
> wisdom/thinking so that eventually a better
> understanding of what went on emerges.
>
> This is the kind of thing that led to Flash
> rewriting of the Hetchins manufacturing history and
> relationship to Bob Jackson a couple years ago. That
> history, for anyone interested, is in the CR archive
> and can be found on Flash' website. Flash, Len and
> Hilary Stone are way out in front of all of us on
> the subject of Hetchins. Its fun to try and catch
> up.
>
> Its my understanding based on interaction with Len
> and Flash that the Super Special, introduced in 1945
> (and ran to approximately 1950), was renamed (with
> minor physical changes) the Nulli Secundus. That
> renaming occured in 1950 at the same time the Latin
> Series was launched. We tend to think the launch of
> the Latin Series was significant and quite unique in
> the bike bus, particularly at that time, for a
> couple reasons. First it was a series or system -
> not just one new model. Second and I think more
> important, it was another example of Hetchins
> attempt to set themselves apart from everyone else
> by using proprietary lugs. The "early" (pre Latin)
> models that you prefer eg. various Brilliants,
> Competition, Massed Start, Anglo Continental used
> purchased lugs from companies like Chater Lea.
> Problem was, from Hetchins point of view (I
> conjecture) that their lugs looked pretty much like
> everyone else's in the '30s and '40s.
>
> The Super Special is special in that its lugs were
> unique - unlike anything generally available on
> other bicycle brands. Since no one is around from
> the time and there are no marketing committee
> meeting notes left behind, we dont know what went
> into the choice of the the term "Latin Series" nor
> where the names Nulli Secundus, Experto Crede,
> Magnum Bonum, Magnum Opus, Vade Mecum came from. We
> can however see the Latin derivation. The Super
> Special therefore is the first of the Hetchins with
> distinctive, proprietary ornate lugs and its success
> I conjecture, contributed to the creation of the
> Latin Series. The Super Special sans internal
> headset bearings was renamed Nulli Secundus and was
> part of the launch of the Latins. It can therefore
> be thought of as the first Latin.
>
> And to Mick - with regard to Six Day models they
> came both ways - track dropouts or set up with gear
> hangers. What makes a Six Day a Six Day (sorry) is
> the crushed seat tube.
>
> Tom Rawson
> Oakland, CA
===== Peter Naiman 4420 North Ardmore Avenue Shorewood, WI 53211
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