"Which model is considered most desireable? Does one model outperfom the other? Lastly, which is the most valuable? Any insights you can provide will be most appreciated.
Warmly, Daniel Dahlquist, Galena, Illinois"
Hardly a Masi expert (I own a '71 Masi GC and an '85 3v) and "performance" is a tricky barometer. All I can say from experience, is that my 3v is the most wonderful, stiff, racy ride of any steel-framed bike I've owned. It's revelatory and unlike any other at least in my experience or my collection. Of course, I ride big frames (mine is a 64 c-t-t by Masi's way of measurement) and so the stiffness is unique in so large a frame. Fantastic pick-up, aggressive cornering enducing and the whole thing tracks like a locomotive, so much so you want to find the nearest Alpine pass and do a 60 mph descent. Now. It's not like sex. It is sex.
I thought the spec'd components were a bit down market and upgraded mine to Campag Super Record titanium pedals (for now the bb is steel spindle) and swapped the Mavic GP4s for much sexier (and lighter) Nisi Sludi 290s so she weighs in at 22.4 lbs, not bad for this size frame but still 2 pounds heavier than say a Raleigh SBDU 753 machine of the same vintage and size. You sure don't notice it riding, though. Lovely colour, horrible paint quality and mediocre finish and as such, fairly typical I find of Italian-made bikes. I suspect the California ones were much better finished. Hope so!
The Masi 3v is so different from anything else, you probably don't want it as your only racing bike nor as one for occasional puttering around. The Masi GC (and I suspect the Prestige) are far more conventional in ride and build and a lot kinder on long rides. And if you're into lug finishing and all that stuff, it will turn your crank more than the "pipe fitters" 3v of course.
Value? I wouldn't give mine up for anything.
Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA