Thanks Neal,

I'll see if I can lay out some details, not an expert by any reach but I do have two Record's, four Grand Prix's and several other period Raleigh's.

The Grand Prix grew out of a model produced by Carlton, (Whom Raleigh acquired about 1960) It filled the slot of an affordable ten-speed. While many early Grand Prix's were produced by Carlton, they would later be made in Nottingham, by Gazelle in Holland and by Raleigh Canada.

All Raleigh Grand Prix's made before the break up of the company in the 1980's (Except "Super" Grand Prix's) share the wrap around seat stay treatment inherited from Carlton.

The Record slotted under the Grand Prix, shared it's Tru-Wel or 20-30 hi-ten tubeset and similar-ish geometry but always had the blunt seatstay treatment.

In the late 70's Raleigh started to phase out French components in favor of Suntour/SR parts and eventually the Record/Grand Prix received similar Suntour/SR equipment. At some point, other than minor and easily swappable parts the only major difference became the seatstay treatment and the name. And in classic Raleigh tradition, they would, might and did just use whatever they came across in the inventory.

In conclusion, and thanks for the rant. Despite whatever alloy parts it might have been shipped with, if it has those blunt seatstay ends, it was born as a Record, most likely in Nottingham.

P.S. Some "Super" GP's have the wrap around Seatstay treatment, and some have tapered seatstay's. But none of them look like the very distinctive "Record" style seatstay.


1981 "Super Record"


http://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_Raleigh_Cat_81_8n9.html