[MENTION=395146]tiredhands[/MENTION] mentioned the early '90s Bianchi Project bikes above, which are the oldest 700c/29" mountain bikes I can think of. They're fully rigid, though, meaning they weren't designed for a suspension fork.

They were named with the word "Project" followed by a number (1/3/5/7). The number differentiated the bike by tubing type and component level. The higher the number, the higher-end the bike, so the "Project 7" was top of the line.