Classic & Vintage - Bottecchia - USA or ITALY?

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Kavorka
06-18-09, 05:11 AM
Hi,

Do anyone know if Bottecchia frames build in the early 90s are US built?
Have read several different stories about where they are made.

Thanks,
Andy

Citoyen du Monde
06-18-09, 09:08 PM
Apart from a few custom bikes that were built for sponsored pros, no Bottecchia was ever built in the US.
Kommisar89
06-18-09, 09:29 PM
Until 1997 factory Bottecchias were built in the Carnielli factory in Vittoria-Veneto Italy. During that time, as Citoyen du Monde mentions, some professional racing "Bottecchias" were custom built bikes made in various places including Italy and the US. I have been told that in the 80's there was a Bottecchia Reparto Corse in Italy that produced custom bikes to order. In '97 the Bottecchia brand was spun off by Carnielli and purchased by the Turato family of Italy. The new Bottecchia is still based in Italy but like many other European and American brands uses production facilities in Asia. Bottecchia today does not have direct sales to the US. Instead they have a marketing agreement with bikesdirect.com to sell Bottecchia branded bikes. Bottecchia markets some components under their own brand (wheels, forks, saddles among others) and the bikesdirect.com Bottecchia branded bikes use some of those parts so they do have some relationship with Bottecchia in Italy but none of the actual bikes are the same as those in the Bottecchia Italy catalog.