Originally Posted by
onespeedbiker
There was also the fact that Campy did not emerge in 1975 with a complete Super Record Gruppo. repechage can correct me here, but with the exception of alloy brake pad holders, the SR brakes were Nuovo Record until around 1982? when Campagnolo released the SR specific Brakes. This was also the fact with the SR front derailleur. Again Campy used their Nuovo Record front derailleur until later (1982?) they black anodized some linkage parts to match the black anodized rear SR derailleur. However, I understand that the front anodized SR derailleur was not widely available and only sold if one bought the entire gruppo. During this time, Campy continued to sell the NR front derailleur as SR, so the anodized version was quite rare for a while. This another reason some sellers sell NR front derailleurs and brake calipers as SR.
The initial Super Record "gruppo" was of course a mix of parts. The SR brakes only had the pierced levers, the calipers were the same as Record, and soon available in the piccolo reach. (the very earliest set I saw of the short reach brakes used the barrel adjuster that I did not see again until the G.S. calipers later, no "O" ring- just a knurled adjuster wheel, On a full tilt DeRosa from Talbot's Cyclery) The aluminum pad holders did not arrive for quite a while, and I think were a cost savings measure more than a weight savings issue, I am not sure on the date of intro, but by 1985 they were standard.
On the front derailleur the initial release did use the Record front changer. It shows that way in the 17 and 17a catalog too. The catalogs list the Record front changer as part of the Super Record group, but its official name remained Record. The Pierced cage design, 4 holes then quickly revised to 3 was in conjunction with the CPSC changes and shows up the as the Record changer too. Later, they did black anodize the arms. In 1985 as part of building back up my old race bike I wanted a Record front but in the box was a unit with black arms in a pale yellow box. Go figure.
Keep in mind that Campagnolo did not use model years, and numbered their catalogs independent of date, they usually were produced as collateral in conjunction with a major trade show. The individual model names and the group names are independent. Bike shops and bicycle brand managers in an effort to be simple and clear in their communication took a shorthand approach to naming things.
Campagnolo could have done a better job naming their products but sophisticated marketing was not their thing back then. I would have changed the name of the Record crank set to Nuovo Record when the bolt hole circle was revised to 144 from 151 as an example. No such luck for us.