...well, yes, and I thought March was going to start calmly and nicely
jeirvine - thank you, this is a very interesting frame
Observations:
- flat fork crown without Eddy Merckx inscription, also no DEROSA logo or inscription
- the way the brakes were mounted was not used in series EMC
- bottom bracket cover is a design used by De Rosa (heart) and not fitted on series EMCs
- front lugs are a similar design to those of the EMC, but not identical
- dropouts (Campagnolo) do not have holes for Porta Catena; all Campagnolo dropouts on early EMC frames have PC (if you did not want PC a different pattern of dropouts with Eddy Merckx inscription was fitted)
- the method of joining seatstays and dropouts was used in De Rosa and EMC; in this case it is done clumsily (later EMCs have this element done neatly)
- the rear lug was used in De Rosa and early EMC
- the stickers are from a later period
- seatstay cap in "EM logo" version
Conclusions (and speculation):
- the frame was not built in Meise, nor is it a prototype for serial EMCs
- the frame is not a De Rosa model, although it contains a lot of elements "fitting" to this company
- the frame was built in De Rosa
- in my opinion this is an early frame (built with "old" parts and not very carefully) from the famous "course for talented framebuilders" run for 2 months by the Master for a 16 years old boy sent by Eddy Merckx; the future chief framebuilder of EMC was Johan Vranckx and he must have built something during these 2 months - for example several dozens of frames...
I don't think his "production" was sold as De Rosa
I don't think his frames were given away for scrap
I think that these frames were transported to Meise, painted, marked and destined for: gifts, fairs and "factory use"
The theory that one of these frames was given to Patrick Sercu is plausible
This is the 9th V-frame I see; all V-frames are very early designs, some very unusual (e.g. frame for 8 year old Axel M., exhibition gold frame with reverse rear brake etc)
The theory that V = Vranckx from the time of training with De Rosa is extremely attractive, but unfortunately difficult to prove (nevertheless possible)
The last strange thing is the double numbering of the frames of the "letterless" series; I know already 2 pairs of different frames with the same number:
3. 398 and V398
3. 515 and V515
The implication is that the V series is "next to" the official EMC numbering of the period
To make it even more difficult, the V frames were probably "entered in the records" not in the order of construction ("gold" exhibition frame is built very carefully with newer part designs and is numbered V199)
One last intriguing trinket: seatstay cap with "EM logo".... until recently I thought it was introduced in 1981, but I have hard evidence that it was certainly used as early as 1980; I don't know if it was available during "training" (I doubt it), but it was possible to swap it with the previous one already at Meise before painting - I think it was important ... after all it is the only sign that you are dealing with a real Eddy Merckx frame (well - almost real)