Interesting, another bit of Raleigh oddness. I'd assumed the 1973 date from the dealer letter I have that includes the code for 1973, and includes Worksop in the list of factories using the new system. If I recall it right, it also advertises items that a shop would typically buy in late fall, for the following season.
So my thinking was that a 1973 frame might be a few 1974 spec bikes made in very late 73.
But with Hilarys info, I'm wondering when the letter is really from, or if the different factories phased in the numbering system at different times. The letter could of course be from late 74, but then the inclusion of 3 for 1973 as a date code makes little sense. Unless it was all planned in 73, but waited a year before it got implemented to wait for Worksop to reorganize.
How about the other factories then? Are there any we have with 1973 date codes in the "new" format?
Steve Birmingham Lowell, Massachusetts USA
Message: 12 Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:56:31 +0000 From: Hilary Stone <hilary.stone@blueyonder.co.uk> Subject: Re: [CR] dating my team Raleigh track bike frame
Its simply not possible - Worksop W series numbers commenced after they reorganised Worksop in the autumn of 1974. The last year was 1989 - as the Raleigh Special Products began its own numbering system in 1990. These commence with a single letter and 1990 was A. However there are a few SB numbered frames which allegedly were built in 1990/1 SB9726 was supposedly built for the Raleigh Castorama team in 1991. Certainly the SB group kept using using their own number system in 1989. I am going to talk to somebody who worked there at the time in the near future and see whether he can shed further light.
Hilary Stone, Bristol, British Isles
donald gillies wrote:
> If someone has a photo of a Wx3nnnnnn frameset that is a 1973 frameset
> (i.e. it should have long dropouts in the back, and/or 1973 lugs), I'd
> really love to see it because I've seen 100+ 1973 raleigh frames and
> they all begin with the 'H' or 'A' prefix for the serial number.
>
> A Wx0nnnnnn frame would be 1980.
>
> Can someone pinpoint the last year that the WxNNNNN numbering scheme
> was used? I think the first year was 1974, but what was the LAST year?
>
> - Don Gillies
> San Diego, CA, USA