All this talk of Gold Colnagos has prompted me to write regarding my NOS 35th Anniversary Master Piu. I've sounded out a few list members individually already but it remains something of a mystery.
Every Summer for about 10 years I had admired it in a Tuscan bikeshop window. The old guy who ran the shop would never say much about it, any questions were met with "Not for sale". On my annual pilgrimage in 2004 I found the shop was gone but the garage opposite where he rented his bikes had been up-graded to a bike shop. The old man was gone but the bike was there. Still without pedals, it had never been sold or even ridden in the 15 years it had been in the shop. I bought it. I brought in home to UK. It still hasn't been ridden, though I have added a pair of NOS Record pedals, with Gold Galli Toeclips.
The frame is the top of the range steel frame with chrome lugs, in ivory with gold lug lining. It is equipped with the Gold Campag Record groupset that was fitted to the C35. The hubs, stem, seatpost, brake levers, brake calipers, front changer, rear changer, even the spokes are all part or fully gold plated. So are the rails of the golden cork effect Sella Italia Saddle. Most of the golden parts also carry a Colnago cloverleaf logo with the number 35.
Does anybody know anything about this series of bikes? How many were made etc?
I am currently resisting an enormous amount of pressure to sell it to help pay for a new kitchen....
Alfredo Marcantonio
Twickenham,England.