Vinyl was invented in the 1920s but PVC really came into its own post-WW2.
Its use in tapes was widespread by the late 1940s and certainly used as 'bar wrap by the early 1950s. If you look at the Peugeot catalogue websi te, you'll see it was stock on all of their machines from c. 1951 on for example. My '62 PX-10 still has its original bar wrap and it's a superb quality, thick embossed vinyl that still looks like new. They used this same tape through the 1970s. I am not sure when Benotto tape was introdu ced (I am guessing 1975 ish) but it was all the rage by the end of the decade and through the mid 1980s. And it was used by pro teams whereas I don't think vinyl tape was, white cotton being the preferred. TI Raleigh used,
successively, white, silver and yellow Benotto tape (I think that was the order) but some machines show white vinyl.
Peter Kohler Washington DC USA
(and yes there is a Vinyl Institute right here in your Nations Capital)
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