Hi Hugh, What is interesting about Leon's frame is the paint underneath the top coat that is on it now. It seems to be the same metallic pink as the later frame that I have. I have seen a lot of solid pink Mercier frames from the 70's, but I cannot remember seeing any metallic pink ones. Any thoughts on this? As far as I remember, the 1972 Mercier Professional frame had a foil head badge, with the frame number stamped into it. So, they were using this style since the early 70's, it seems. All the best, Peter Rogers Barrie, Ontario, Canada
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Hugh Thornton" <hughwthornton@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2010 8:31 AM
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR] Help! Trying to Identify a Mercier Frame
> Wow! Thanks Norris. How do you unearth all this good stuff?
>
> I have this frame like Leon's (frame A) and I have another 1977 Mercier
> frame (frame B, which is the pattern for the decals) and there is no
> comparison in workmanship. Frame A has beautifully filed lugs, whereas
> frame B - 531 butted, hand made, Service Des Courses, but regular
> Mercier-inscribed seatstay top caps and pointy fork and stay ends - is not
> built with the same degree of hand finishing.
>
> But my later frame (frame C) has the same seatstay top eyes as frame A and
> a similar degree of hand finishing, but the fork and stay ends at the
> dropouts are pointy. It is not very easy to make out the seatstay caps on
> Peter's frame so it might be helpful if he could say whether they are the
> same as Leon's.
>
> At least by 1977, the Services Des Courses headbadge was thin aluminum (or
> thick foil) in a shield shape in which the frame number is impressed. I
> don't know if the badge you refer to was used on other models until the
> crown came along.
>
> The only thing is that Leon's and my frames have a racing number tab and a
> serious racer is more concerned with performance than super hand fnishing,
> so if our frames are the higher quality Prestige range, they would appear
> to be built for "poseurs" rather than "coureurs".
>
> Norris - is there any way you can copy that article you referred to and
> send a copy or stick it on flickr? Would be much appreciated.
>
> Leon - does your frame look like it has beautifully hand-filed lugs too?
>
> Hugh Thornton
> Cheshire, England
>
> --- On Fri, 25/6/10, Norris Lockley <nlockley73@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> From: Norris Lockley <nlockley73@gmail.com>
> Subject: [CR] Help! Trying to Identify a Mercier Frame
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Date: Friday, 25 June, 2010, 12:56
>
>
> I have just managed to unearth a few more snippets of relevant information
> about Mercier's range of frames.
>
> In September 1975, the firm announced that all it's frame built of
> Reynolds
> 531 tubing would have engraved top-eyes, and a Cinelli crown, also
> engraved.
>
> In September 1977 the firm announced that it was introducing a whole new
> concept to its top-end-frame - the PRESTIGE range., this being in addition
> to the COMPETITION range that included the Tour de France, Tour du Monde.
> Le
> Contre-la-Montre modles. The article making this announcement did not
> state
> whether the PRESTIGE range produced custom models only..but did boast of
> its
> 'exceptionelle facture artisanale' ie the range's exceptional
> craftsmanship., the limiting of the number of frames produced in the range
> and the fact that each frame would receive its own individual
> frame-number.
>
> The original Mercier presssed aluminium slightly art-deco headbadge with
> the
> frame-number stamped into the lower panel seems to have been replaced in
> the
> very early 80s by a very stylised 'M' with a coronet above.
>
> The original Mercier headbadges turn up frequently on French eBay on one
> of
> its collectors sites:
>
> http://www.ebay.fr/
>
> Once into that main site enter 'plaques de velo' in the search engine.
>
> Good hunting
>
> Norris Lockley
>
> Settle UK