Can all you Colnago experts out there extend this very useful timeline of changes to the basic Colnago Super design through to the end of the CR time period -- 1983? Some of us have not been so fortunate as to find early Colnagos and have settled for late 70 or early 80s models. I am such a one. It would be very helpful to have similar info to help more accurately date mine.
Please chime in!
Thanks!
David
David -- if anyone knows of an early 64 cm Colnago for sale, let me know! -- G. White Burlington, VT
brianbaylis@juno.com wrote:
>Angel,
>
>As usual, I'm a little short on time this morning; but let me add a little to the "Colnago Dating" discussion.
>
>I have been keeping a close eye on early ('69 to '75) Colnagos, as have several other Colnago affecianados, and my opinion on what years any given frame is is based upon the bike I owned in 1972 (it was a 1971 bike), a whole bunch of examples that are in the possesion of various people (and my own 4 early Colnagos), and a vast number of bikes I've seen and restored. My dates relate to when the bike were available for sale here in the US. The person who has a differing opinion, and only slightly, is refering to when bikes were shown or catalogs published.
>
>Just yesterday I just acquired the earliest Colnago Super frame I've ever seen. It appears to be about 1969. The fork crown is unique, haven't seen this crown on a Colnago before. Small triangular tang, no holes or cutouts. The BB shell is also unique. No club cutout, but instead a circular drilled hole pattern simular to that on Cinelli superlight models. Crown with 4 holes (which are actually spot faced on the crown, not actual holes). Clubs in all 3 lugs. 51cm frame!
>
>Our collective knowledge has produced these dates:
>
>'69 cast Italian crown or Vagner crown, 4 holes in sides. Playing card graphics
>'70 First Investment semi sloping crown, "fat" blank tang. Playing card graphics.
>'71 IC crown, small blank fork tang. 4 holes in crown. Playing card graphics.
>'72 first year of club in top of crown. 4 holes still in crown. Small fork tang with 2 holes. Plain club logo on HT and ST between world bands. Common to have contrast color seat panel.
>'73 Holes in crown disappear, now only club in top. club logo on head tube, first year of wreath decal on ST. Some of them were printed "colors in reverse" and appear to have an indistinct edge. Last year of clubs cut in all 3 lugs.
>'74 Club in bottom lug only. Club in top of crown. club cutout in small fork tang. Same graphics as '73 but printing problem fixed on wreath decals.
>'75 may be the first year of crown with both the club and the word "Colnago" engraved in the top. First year of the slash world stripes decals.
>'76 I think first year of Top tube cable guides.
>
>There were a number of down tube decal changes that go along with the other graphic progressions. So that's how the dating looks from our field observations.
>
>Brian Baylis
>La Mesa, CA
>Off to work to attend to lots of stuff, including inspecting my new '69 Colnago.
>'
>
>
>-- "Angel Garcia" <veronaman@comcast.net> wrote:
>I have had some additional input offlist regarding 1972 and 1973 Colnago Supers. This is what the list looks like now:
>
>1971 multiple lugs have clubs cutout, graphics consists of a Colnago club in
>white square with CICLI on top and SUPER on the bottom (reference
>http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Italy/Colnago/Colnago_71-freeman.htm); also
>very small circles on outer sides of fork crown.
>
>1972 multiple lugs have clubs cutout, wreath graphics on seat tube; no
>circles, clubs, or other embellishments in fork tangs
>
>1973 multiple lugs have clubs cutout, wreath graphics on seat tube , no
>circles, clubs, or other embellishments in fork tangs
>
>1974 (or late 1973) only lower head tube lug has club cutout; circles in
>fork tang, wreath graphics on seat tube (reference
>http://www.raydobbins.com; Ray has noted that this bike has circles in the
>fork tangs and that Brian Baylis believes this to be a late 1973 or 1974, not 1972)
>
>1974 or 1975 (in one of these years) only lower head tube lug has club cutout; clubs in fork tang;
>wreath graphics on seat tube
>
>1975 or 1976 (in one of these years) brake cable braze-ons, shifter bosses
>and new graphics appear; the wreath on the downtube is replaced with COLNAGO
>with a club in the C and diagonal WC stripes above; Colnago club with
>championship stripes at a diagonal on head tube; club in fork tang
>
>Angel Garcia
>Long Valley, NJ