View Single Post
Old 08-17-08 | 03:54 PM
  #60  
Kommisar89
Bottecchia fan
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,520
Likes: 12
From: Colorado Springs, CO

Bikes: 1959 Bottecchia Milano-Sanremo (frame), 1966 Bottecchia Professional (frame), 1971 Bottecchia Professional (frame), 1973 Bottecchia Gran Turismo, 1974 Bottecchia Special, 1977 Bottecchia Special (frame), 1974 Peugeot UO-8

Originally Posted by jet sanchEz
I was thinking about that Bianchi reproduction that I posted and got to wondering-------does Bianchi make anything in Italy anymore? Not that I care where a bike is made really but it used to be that a full celeste-coloured bike denoted the fact that the bike was built and assembled in Italy. Clearly, that doesn't apply anymore and, looking again at those close-ups of the lugs, it is a pretty poor looking Bianchi. I don't think it is Taiwanese-made, more like China. Kinda sad.
Maybe but who knows? I doubt Bianchi is going to fes up. The top of the line steel frames were made in Italy until a few years ago but there aren't any more of those as far as I can tell. My 2002 was one of the last. The high-end aluminum frames were too so maybe the FG Lite still is. And perhaps the Matta Titanium. From what I've heard I believe the carbon fiber frames that make up the bulk of the top-end line up are made in Taiwan and shipped to Italy for finishing so they carry the "Made in Italy" and "Reparto Corse" labels but I'm not sure about that. Maybe somebody else has better info. Those "Made in ..." labels don't mean much anymore if they ever did. I'm not sure even the Chinese would lay claim to that poor excuse for a Bianchi in those pictures. Certainly doesn't appear to be made in Bianchi's Taiwan factory which produces a fine product.

I remember hearing a story one time that the "Made in Germany" label that German products carry was originally forced on them in the late 19th century by the British who wanted to make sure consumers knew these were German products and not British because "Made in Germany" then was sort of like "Made in China" today.
__________________
1959 Bottecchia Milano-Sanremo(frame), 1966 Bottecchia Professional (frame), 1971 Bottecchia Professional (frame),
1973 Bottecchia Gran Turismo, 1974 Bottecchia Special, 1977 Bottecchia Special (frame),
1974 Peugeot UO-8, 1988 Panasonic PT-3500, 2002 Bianchi Veloce, 2004 Bianchi Pista
Kommisar89 is offline  
Reply