COLNAGO DATING

To the subject of clubs on decals and clubs cut into lugs...

Ernesto Colnago has stated that the inspiration for changing his logo
to the Ace of Clubs was the result of Michele Dancelli winning the
'70 Milano-San Remo for Molteni while riding a Colnago. "La
Primavera" (the spring) is the nickname for Milan-San Remo and the
Ace of Clubs represents the spring flowers.

Steven Maasland previously elaborated about the club/flower tie in:
"The 'asso di fiore' is correctly translated as 'ace of clubs',
however there is also a double entendre in Italian that is lost here
as 'Fiore' is also 'flower', the symbol of the San Remo area. After
the San Remo race win, Colnago spoke to the very well-known Italian
sports reporter, Bruno Raschi, who was preparing his race report.
He came up with the saying that the 'in fiore' bike won the race.
This was a play on the fact that the race known for the 'riviera dei
fiori' (flower coast) as well as 'in fiore' (flowering or blooming).
That particular race win was very important for Italian cycling
because it was the first San Remo race won by an Italian in many
years, hence the 'flowering' part in the 'flower' race."

Okay, so that would explain the "playing card" club logo decals used
later in 1970, but what about Colnagos built before that date with
the same club shape cut in the lugs?

It has been mentioned before that the club cut in the lugs of the
Colnago Super was a tribute to Gloria where Ernesto Colnago first
apprenticed at 13 years of age and worked for almost a decade.
Gloria used a large lily at the sides of the lugs and bottom bracket;
the three petals of the club echo the three petals of the lily.

Here's the latest version of the frame dating (some dates plus or
minus a year):

=====================================
Colnago Super Frame Dating (10.14.07)
=====================================

1968 -- First Super(?)
1968 -- Fork crown (sand cast) with two holes in each side
1968 -- Fork tangs wide, no cutouts
1968 -- Club cutouts in all three lugs
1968 -- Bottom bracket shell with drilled holes (eight in circle plus
one in center)
----
1970 -- Fork crown (investment cast semi-sloping) with two holes in
each side
1970 -- "Playing card" club decal graphics (inspired by 1970 Milano-
San Remo victory)
----
1971 -- Fork crown with clubs in top and two holes in each side
1971 -- Fork tangs narrow, no cutouts (or rarely no tangs)
1971 -- Club cutouts in all three lugs but club in lower head lug is
now larger
1971 -- Bottom bracket shell with club cutout
----
1972 -- Club/COLNAGO decal on head tube/seat tube (two seat tube
Worlds bands) and COLNAGO on down tube
1972 -- Fork tangs with two holes (or very rarely three holes tangs
or no tangs)
1972 -- Cable guide braze-ons top of bottom bracket shell
1972 -- Water bottle braze-ons on downtube
----
1973 -- Wreath seat tube decal with Worlds band at top and bottom
1973 -- Fork crown with clubs on top but no holes in each side
1973 -- Fork tangs with club cutouts (or rarely two hole tangs or no
tangs)
1973 -- Club cutout in lower head lug only
----
1974 -- Shifter braze-ons on down tube (option before this)
----
1975 -- Vertical COLNAGO seat tube decal with diagonal Worlds band at
top
----
1976 -- Fork crown with COLNAGO added to clubs on top
1976 -- Short Campagnolo or COLNAGO dropouts
----
1977 -- Top tube cable guide braze-ons (option before this)
----
1978 -- Fork crown for recessed brake bolt with shallow triangles cut
into back
1978 -- Brake bridge for recessed brake bolt
----
1980 -- Fluted seat stay caps engraved COLNAGO and straight seat
stays (no longer biconical)
1980 -- Brake bridge with cast square boss for recessed brake bolt
----
1981 -- Chain stay bridge is small spool shape (no longer tube)
----
1982 -- Chain stays stamped COLNAGO on sides
1982 -- Cable routing on underside of bottom bracket
----
1983 -- Aerodynamic fork crown

NOTE:
Dates are plus or minus one year; changes in frame details might have
occurred the end of one year or the beginning of the next for example
or may have been offered as an option before becoming standard.
Paint schemes, panels, decals and chrome varied according to how
importers spec'd their frames, so this all varied considerably and
there are lots of anomalies. ALL CORRECTIONS WELCOMED AND ENCOURAGED!

Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena
California
USA