Well, my friends... my 1969 Atala Gran Prix (from some form of double butted tubing) has the serial number stamped on the drive side. That's how I remember all Atalas, be they road bikes or the track bikes that were raced at Kissena.
But I suppose they could have done it differently during different years. Anyway, I can supply photos of my frame, although it's a few years newer than the type Rav Amir desires. Still, my recollection is that the difference between the early 1960s Gran Prix frames, and those from the late '60s, is that the older ones used those "fishmouth" lugs. The latter ones used those lugs that basically look like long point DuBois lugs( although I suspect they were actually made by some otehr firm.)
By the way, for reasons I really don't undertand, the insignias on black frames used a different font than the on frames painted other colors. The black frames used a cursive font instead of the block lettering used with the other colors.
Of course, for all I know, the insignias - like the serial
numbers - could have been done differently at different times.
Listen... I'm really familiar with just a couple of
manufacturers of classic lighweights (Atala and LeJeune) and
they were clearly blasé about all sorts of details that CR list
members find so important.
Best regards,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
> Hi Amir,
> One caveat to Aldo's serial number location, is that I
> believe it should be
> on the non-drive side. Torpado primarily had them on the
> drive side in the
> 1950s and 60s, but from the 40s I've seen a few stamped on
> the non-drive side as
> well ... but those or some old bikes and are few and far in
> between. Now I'm
> thinking that Olmos of the time have them stamped on the seat
> tube near the
> top too, but I can't remember which side. Making matters
> worse, all three
> brands (and likely others too) have very similar lugs to the
> ones Aldo mentioned,
> but there are usually similar defining details to help
> separate the marques.
> If you send me pics, I can probably confirm if it is a
> Torpado or not. I leave
> the other marque's identification to everyone else :)
>
> Ciao,
> Mark Agree
> Southfield MI USA
> ~ ~ ~
>
>
> Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 19:42:46 -0400
> From: "Aldo Ross" <aldoross4@siscom.net>
> To: "Amir Avitzur" <avitzur@013.net>
> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR] looking for photos of 50's or early 60's
> Atala Gan Prix and
> Competizione
>
> Hi Amir,
>
> It's Aldo again. I've got two Atala from the early '60s, a
> copper 1960 and
> a silver 1962. Both came with Gran Sport derailleurs and
> Atala cottered
> steel cranks. Both have a metal head badges. The headlugs
> have cut-out
> windows in the shapes of elongated hearts, commas, kidneys,
> teardrops, etc.
>
> Atala are easy to identify by the serial number stamped
> vertically into the
> seattube just below the seat cluster. The first 2 numbers
> will be the year
> of manufacture.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Aldo Ross
> Middletown, Ohio
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Amir Avitzur" <avitzur@013.net>
> To: "Classicrendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 4:59 PM
> Subject: [CR] looking for photos of 50's or early 60's Atala
> Gan Prix and
> Competizione
>
>
> >
> > A friend recently aquired an old lightweight frame.
> > It has an Italian threaded bottom bracket, a long wheelbase
> and
> > comfortable
> > angles.
> > We're both guessing its an old Atala.
> >
> > Anybody have photos of a 50's or early 60's Atala Gan Prix,
> Competizione
> > or
> > equivalent?
> >
> > Amir Avitzur
> > R"G Israel (where there are at least two more known classic
> collectors)
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
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