Hi Crew, Regarding the esteemed Colnago Saronni with Aelle tubing, I happen to have at hand an Italian trade price list from November 1980 which places the 'pecking order' of Colnago frames on a monetary scale. New Frame only Colnago Mexico frame with chromed fork 280,000 Liras Colnago Super frame with chromed fork 245,000 Liras Saronni Export frame with Columbus Aelle tubing 130,000 Liras Colnago Chromed Fork 60,950 Liras
(It doesn't say whether a fork is supplied with the Saronni frame)
Complete bikes
Mexico
Oro 1,265,000 Liras
Mexico
1,000,000 Liras
Super International 931,500 Liras
Super
874,000 Liras
Saronni Giro D'
Italia 701,500 Liras
Export
GS 701,500 Liras
Saronni
GS 483,000 Liras
You can see that the price of the tubing makes a significant
difference to the cost of the finished frame as well as the groupset
on a completed bike.
Beppe Saronni might not have realized that his name was being used to
increase market appeal to a relatively speaking 'low end' frame frame
from Colnago, but I have yet to hear any complaints about the ride
quality of these frames from riders. The 'Saronni red' colour has
been placed in the history books alongside Molteni Orange as an all
time classic as well. Saronni Red is more of a technique as opposed
an actual colour and can best be described as a 'trans red' over a
silver base coat.
History has served the Saronni name much better than was probably
anticipated nearly 30 years ago.
Greg Softley
Coffs Harbour
Australia