Most of the mass market European manufacturers had inconsistent workmanship in the early 1970s but it became really noticeable during 1972. That was the year that 10 speed sales skyrocketed and manufacturers were struggling to keep pace with sales. The increased sales required a lot of new labour and overtime, resulting in more defects. Inspectors were missing or ignoring a lot of issues as shop owners begged for more product. The issues were made only more apparent with the arrival of the Japanese, who a put higher priority on quality and produced much more consistent product. When the Japanese took over the entry level markets, the Europeans had their eyes opened and were forced to raise their standards.
Last edited by T-Mar; 07-19-19 at 06:33 AM.