According to an Ideale history published on the web, The model 57 was already in the lineup when Marcel Berthet took over control of the company in 1933 after the death of his father-in-law. Models 54 and 57 were made with alloy rails and were probably the saddles most used on superlight prototypes in the Technical Trial. Model 59 was also available with alloy rails, though I don't know if that one predated WWII. I suspect model 88 or 89 was the most expensive Ideale before model 90 was introduced. Either 88 or 89 or both was available with alloy rails, so they may have continued to be the most expensive, even after the steel-railed Model 90 was introduced. (Mod 90 would later be offered both with alloy and Ti rails). Since mod 88 amd 89 seem to be fairly rare, I suspect perhaps it was model 80 whioch was the most common on high end bikes before model 90 was introduced.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: Peter Brueggeman <4peebee@peterbrueggeman.com>
\r?\n> Subject: Re: [CR] Ideale 90 saddle when introduced?
\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
\r?\n> Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 9:35 PM
\r?\n> Peter Kohler said: The Ideale page of
\r?\n> the CR website says 1965. But my 1959 Peugeot has an Ideale
\r?\n> 90 saddle on it which . looks like it's original to the
\r?\n> machine. So is there some documentation out there that
\r?\n> indeed sets it at 1965? And if so, what was the top Ideale
\r?\n> racing saddle c. 1959. the no. 57?"
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Some data points I can provide.
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> The 1958 Ron Kitching Everything Cycling catalogue prices
\r?\n> the No. 48 Professional at the highest price; I assume price
\r?\n> indicates the "top" saddle. Nos. 57 and 90 aren't listed.
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> The 1960 Ron Kitching Everything Cycling catalogue prices
\r?\n> the No. 48 Professional at the highest price, the "top"
\r?\n> saddle. Nos. 57 and 90 aren't listed.
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> The 1963 Ron Kitching Everything Cycling catalogue prices
\r?\n> the Nos. 88 and 89 Speciale Competition at the highest
\r?\n> price, the "top" saddle. Nos. 57 and 90 aren't listed.
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Peter Brueggeman
\r?\n> La Jolla California USA
\r?\n> 4peebee(at)peterbrueggeman.com