I’m trying to piece together a Bottecchia timeline, focusing for the moment on the later, post bike boom period.

I’ll put my questions near the top in case you don’t feel like reading through all my rambling and know the answers:

1. Were Bottecchias distributed in the US between say the late 70’s and 85-86 timeframe?
2. If they were, when did they switch from the classic period De Luxe – Special – Gran Turismo – Giro d’Italia – Professional models to the newer tubing/gruppo nomenclature? There seems to be a missing link in the fossil bicycle record.
3. Again, if they were distributed, has anyone seen a late 70’s - 85 Bottecchia? What do they look like? Decal schemes? I’m sure they existed in Italy at any rate.
4. When did Carnielli sell off Bottecchia? Was that 1992 or later?
5. What years did the ADR and Spago teams “officially” ride Bottecchias (I don’t care who actually made the bikes)?

Ok, if you’ve made it this far and care to read the rest of my ramblings, here are my observations -

I have pictures of a number of Bottecchias with Victory/Triomphe or Super Record groups that use the decals with block lettering and diagonal stripes. 3 are in the yellow/purple Team ADR colors, 2 are solid white, and 1 is black but in the Squadra/Equipe style finish with the chrome fork, lugs, and complete chrome rear triangle. I don’t have dates for any of them. Then I have several other pictures of red/white bikes most with later groups like Athena/Chorus/C-Record some of which are dated from 1989-1992 and 1 with Victory/Triomphe that is undated. The Campy Timeline says Victory/Triomphe was introduced in 86 and Velobase gives a range of 85-87 or 88 so that narrows it down. Based on what I’ve seen so far I’m guessing that the change from block lettering to script was between 86-87. Based on gut feel and not much else, I’m thinking the basic decal scheme would have come out in 86, since 85 was the first year since the 60’s that Bottecchia won the Italian and world championships again. That leaves a HUGE hole in my records. Nothing after the mid 70’s until the 86 model year. That could make some sense if Bottecchia dropped out of US distribution after the bike boom and didn’t return until after the victories in 1985. I remember when I bought mine in 1974 that the sales guy told me they were not going to be carrying Bottecchia anymore but I don’t know what happened after that. I do have a picture of a restored Bottecchia Professional with a CPSC lip on the front derailleur and it wears the traditional colors and decals that were standard since the late 60’s but I have no way of knowing if that derailleur is original. If it were then that would seem to indicate a Bottecchia presence in the US as late as 1978 and that the decals had not changed but I’d be reaching there. And after 1992 it gets fuzzier still. I remember that Bottecchia SL and SLX frames were still available in the mid-90’s but I don’t know if they were still being produced by Carnielli, were NOS at that point, or were made by the new Bottecchia company. And in fact I have no idea who they really are. The old Bottecchias were made by Carnielli - Carnielli Fitness S.p.A. still exists and even makes bicycles although they use the Carnielli brand. And outside the US Bottecchia is in business as Bottecchia Cicli S.r.l. making some very fine modern bicycles (and let’s not even discuss BottecchiaUSA).