I don't think it or they "the throwbacks" are pretending, I did at first but I've changed my mind. I convinced if Raleigh was welding (brazing) frames in England the beast wouldn't be much different. After a couple of years on the "throwback", I've found it to be just a modern bike with fenders dressed in a very subdued, traditonal paint. If your refering to the "Clubman" name...maybe, but I've never had anyone mistake it for an old Enlish bike, it looks very modern in person.