Colnago Dating

Colnago Super Frame Dating

This Colnago dating guide was assembled from archives of the Classic Rendezvous email list.

Mostly, the text was taken from Chuck Schmidt's Colnago Frame Dating message to the CR list from 14-Oct-2007

This page, or something like it should be on the Classic Rendezvous Colnago page. But since it isn't, I'm putting it here for my own use. Possibly, it will be of use to others also.

I hope to add illustrations as available.

From Chuck Schmidt's NOTE:

Dates are plus or minus one year; changes in frame details might have occurred the end of one year or the beginning of the next for example or may have been offered as an option before becoming standard. Paint schemes, panels, decals and chrome varied according to how importers spec'd their frames, so this all varied considerably and there are lots of anomalies. Dates and details based on the Classic Rendezvous archives, the Wool Jersey Gallery, and Colnago and Bikcology catalogs.

ALL CORRECTIONS WELCOMED AND ENCOURAGED! (by Chuch and me)

Chuck Schmidt wrote:

To the subject of clubs on decals and clubs cut into lugs...

Ernesto Colnago has stated that the inspiration for changing his logo to the Ace of Clubs was the result of Michele Dancelli winning the '70 Milano-San Remo for Molteni while riding a Colnago. "La Primavera" (the spring) is the nickname for Milan-San Remo and the Ace of Clubs represents the spring flowers.

Steven Maasland previously elaborated about the club/flower tie in: "The 'asso di fiore' is correctly translated as 'ace of clubs', however there is also a double entendre in Italian that is lost here as 'Fiore' is also 'flower', the symbol of the San Remo area. After the San Remo race win, Colnago spoke to the very well-known Italian sports reporter, Bruno Raschi, who was preparing his race report. He came up with the saying that the 'in fiore' bike won the race. This was a play on the fact that the race known for the 'riviera dei fiori' (flower coast) as well as 'in fiore' (flowering or blooming). That particular race win was very important for Italian cycling because it was the first San Remo race won by an Italian in many years, hence the 'flowering' part in the 'flower' race."

Okay, so that would explain the "playing card" club logo decals used later in 1970, but what about Colnagos built before that date with the same club shape cut in the lugs?

It has been mentioned before that the club cut in the lugs of the Colnago Super was a tribute to Gloria where Ernesto Colnago first apprenticed at 13 years of age and worked for almost a decade. Gloria used a large lily at the sides of the lugs and bottom bracket; the three petals of the club echo the three petals of the lily.