Dunno if "early brifters" have ever been explicitly stated to be "not C&V". I've never been able to find an explicit definition of what is and isn't "C&V" for the purposes of this forum, and I wasn't a member when the C&V forum was created. But yes, the creation of the "early brifter bikes" near-ghost-town forum does imply that.

However, that decision is questionable IMO. Plus, as time passes the definition of what is considered "C&V" changes in every field of human activity. Cycling is no different.

Case in point, from the automotive world: when the first Ford Mustang was sold in the mid-1960s, it was certainly not "vintage" and most didn't yet consider it a classic (though some did from nearly day one). 30 years later, it was generally considered a prime example of both. Today? If you want to obtain one, well, good luck finding one for sale - and if you do, bring serious $$$.

Minor error in my original post: I had mis-remembered the intro date of STI's - they were introduced in 1990, not the mid-1980s as I'd erroneously recalled (that was STI). They're thus "only" been around 30+ years, not 35+.