Thanks Dave, Thats very interesting. One could make the case that the curtain didnt just fall. If your frame was dated 1950 via serial number (but made when?) and Hetchins had those headlugs and bearings, one could see them going ahead with the rename, (as thats where all marketing was going) but using up old stock of parts.
Sort of brings into question what exactly was a first Nulli Secundus - sorry Pete. Can also see a prototype of the new Nulli Secundus with Super Special "styled" lugs but external headset - particularly if used at shows as part of announcement, while shop quietly turning out bikes that use up old stocks of parts. Believe thats what Chris sold to Pete and has been established via records. Names are whatever people choose and occur whenever they choose to use them. This is a chronic problem with "new and improved" anything in manufacturing.
Once worked at a company that went belly up for a host of reasons, but one being theyd created massive work in process inventory of obsoleted parts from "new and improved" models that were theoretically replacing old.
Tom Rawson
still in Oakland
<Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>; "Flash" <editor@hetchins.org> Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 12:06 PM Subject: Re: [CR]Petes Nulli Secundus and Six Days
> Tom,
> I have a Nulli Secundus (#503574) that was made in April, 1950. It still
> has the internal headset. I was under the impression that the Super
> Special was renamed for the 1949 Earl's Court show to introduce the Latin
> Series lugs. I am not sure when they stopped using the internal headset
> but it was not related to the name of the model. My NS has round forks and
> orthodox stays. My guess is that it was built to complete an order
> Hetchins might have taken at the 1949 show.
> David Cooper
> Chicago, IL
>
>
> On Feb 18, 2005, at 1:17 PM, Thomas Rawson wrote:
>
> 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