Concorde and MAFAC
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Concorde and MAFAC
I ran across a Concorde for sale recently and I am trying to get a bead on what it should be worth. I have gleaned that it is a Belgian brand from the 70s/80s.
The bike has a very nice lugged construction from Columbus steel with nice details like the brand "Concorde" stamped into the scallop at the top of the seat stay. Nice chrome on the chainstays and fork, as well.
What confuses me is that all of the references to Concorde in these threads refer to Campy, and this bike is built up with Simplex and MAFAC. Does this just mean that it is older? Less valuable?
Thanks in advance.
The bike has a very nice lugged construction from Columbus steel with nice details like the brand "Concorde" stamped into the scallop at the top of the seat stay. Nice chrome on the chainstays and fork, as well.
What confuses me is that all of the references to Concorde in these threads refer to Campy, and this bike is built up with Simplex and MAFAC. Does this just mean that it is older? Less valuable?
Thanks in advance.
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pics would be helpful, but what I know of the brand is that it's Benelux-based, but the frames were built for them in Italy, more like the late '80s to early '90s, and the original builder was the same who made Ciocc in that timeframe. (Later than early '90s models may have been sourced from other suppliers.) The PDM pro team raced on these frames, you can google for more info and pics. I'd be surprised to see an early frame with period-correct Simplex and Mafac parts cause I don't think the PDM era Concorde enterprise even existed at the time...could be a different make altogether. There was also an early Japanese bike called Concord (with no e) that also was around earlier than the '80s but would not have had French parts.
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I thought that might be the case, but the top of the seatstays, where it meets the seat tube, is scalloped and has Concorde stamped into the steel. That seems the type of overdetailing that the italians would do (and that we love them for).
I will get pics.
I will get pics.
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Here are the pictures I shot:
https://web.mac.com/mattroche/Site/Photos.html
Love ANY feedback. Should I buy it?
https://web.mac.com/mattroche/Site/Photos.html
Love ANY feedback. Should I buy it?
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AH! That makes a big difference, I'd buy this in a heartbeat if it fit me: a classic Italian frame with very desirable (and sort of rare) French components. I can't see what the brakes are, but they sure ain't the Mafac Racer centerpulls that I had imagined. They do have external nuts, which I am a little surprised by, but that's a very minor point. Looks like it could stand a good cleaning and rust spot touch-up, but should be a wonderful ride.
Edit: I looked again and think the rear brake shows a Modolo rubber bumpber, now think these may be mid-grade Modolo brakes like Speedy or Flash. Not their best stoppers, but easy enough to replace them with some higher-grade Modolos, ideally some that Modolo branded for Mavic, it would complete the gruppo. BTW, I think that Simplex also produced those retrofriction shifters under contract and branded them as Mavics, too.
Edit: I looked again and think the rear brake shows a Modolo rubber bumpber, now think these may be mid-grade Modolo brakes like Speedy or Flash. Not their best stoppers, but easy enough to replace them with some higher-grade Modolos, ideally some that Modolo branded for Mavic, it would complete the gruppo. BTW, I think that Simplex also produced those retrofriction shifters under contract and branded them as Mavics, too.
Last edited by unworthy1; 04-05-08 at 11:41 AM.