Jantaras

Hello,

I have been watching this AutoMoto Champion du Monde on local 'CL'. I can't see it for myself, because it is far away.., It would cost me an equivalent of about 360 USD delivery included.

It has Vitus frame, seller states it's a 1951-52 frame.
Mavic rims, Exceltoo Super Competition front hub, Normandy rear hub
Headset Stronglight P3
Pivo stem
Brakes LAM super dural
Cranks Stronglight Competition No.55, Simplex JUY chainrings
Gallet 28A saddle
Fron derailleur Simplex Breveté S.G.D.G. JUY
Rear derailleur Simplex JUY, Huret shifters
BB Stronglight

It probably has quite a few original parts, the hubs are probably not original.

Is it low end, high end, worth the price? Hows the Vitus' frames from 1950's, are they any good, would it be a good rider or is it suitable just for collections?

All info is appreciated, thanks!

juvela

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Odd that she has Juy mechs front and back paired with Freres Huret shift lever. Lugs, shell and braze-ons are Nervex. Usually Automotos from this time display a tubular crown with a cloverleaf emblem disc in the ends.

Unlikely spoke disc original, supports suggestion of non-original wheels. Does seller include pedals? Looks to be mostly original. Concept appears to be entry level road racing machine.

Automoto bicycles were also sold under the Christophe badge. Here is a 1952 Champion du Monde model similar to your for sale machine:

https://www.bikeforums.net/13977268-post5.html

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bikemig 

It's hard to find data points on a bike this old. The paint looks to be in good shape which is a plus. I didn't pay much less than this for an olmo gran sport from 1960 that was in pristine shape cosmetically and all original parts. That was not the top of the line bike either, nor was it the bottom of the line. I've bought "better" bikes for less.

A bike like this does not come up too often and so my guess is that the price is not crazy. It can't hurt to negotiate a bit on the price. I agree with juvela, and I'd certainly want original pedals at that price or get a discount for them. The bottom line is that I certainly wouldn't think I was overpaying for the bike given its rarity once the pedals are factored in.

The distance is a drag though.

T-Mar

Yes, this appears to be a high end frame with mostly period correct parts. During this era the Vitus name was restricted to Atelier de Reve's, lightweight, butted tubeset. It did not become a name for a series of tubesets until later. The derailleurs are period correct and the Huret levers are still 1950s, though I'm not sure about 1951-1952. Even though aluminum cotterless cranksets were available, many of the pros were still riding cottered, steel cranks with the Simplex double chainrings. However, my understanding is that the Stronglight model number reflected the year of introduction, at least up to and including the model 63 cranksets. LAM brakes go back to the pre-war period, so they could be period correct. The Exceltoo Super Competition front hub was available in the 1950s, though again, I'm not sure if it goes back to the very early 1950s.

So, yes, this could be worth the price. The parts are in good cosmetic condition for the era. However, the big question is the mechanical condition, especially things like bearing races and the freewheel. Also, what's up with the missing left crankarm and pedals? However, these cranks survived into the boom era, so replacements are not that difficult to find, though it will be an added cost.

I'm sure there are some out there who would pay this even for a wall hanger. As rider, it would make a great L-Eroica mount.

sloar 

I'd pay that much for it. Nice find.

Jantaras

Pedals are in the picture, not sure what are these... Old pedals
The left crankarm is not missing, seller says it is is good condition, just the threads of the cotter are badly messed. So I would have to get a new cotter...

Filochard

Nice bike!

Another 1952 Champion du Monde, a piece of history:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/covent...th/9655993172/

Filochard

T-Mar, at that time Vitus was a brand owned by Le Petit Tube de Précision, a parisian company with a factory at Maisons-Alfort near Paris.

In the mid 50's, the brand was bought by Les Ateliers de la Rive settled near St-Etienne, where they also produced the Durifort tubes.


Séries de tubes Vitus - mai 1949

T-Mar

Thxs for the clarification. I was under the impression that Ateliers de la Rive was a division/subsidiary of Vallourec (sp?) which itself was an early 1930s amalgamation of three companies that brought the Rubis, Durifort and Vitus brands into common ownership. Perhaps my sources were faulty or (more likely) my translation was in error.

Jantaras

There is this Vitus sticker. Is is possible to say, it it 103 tubing or 303, was Champion du monde a racing bike or for a tourism?

Filochard

AFAIK the differents series had no distinctive stickers:


PEUGEOT PLX 10

The frame's weight and the seatpost diameter may give some clues...

Filochard

The Rubis tubes were made by the Société Louvroil Montbard-Aulnoye which merged with other companies to became Vallourec in the mid 50's.
But the Rubis tubes had disappeared earlier in the late 40's, the last mark that I know is in the 1947 Dilecta catalog.

The Vitus tubes were used by Peugeot until 1957, the last year where they were used for the high end PLX 10. In the 1958 catalog, the LX 10 frame was built with Reynolds tubes.

And we know that Les Ateliers de la Rive renewed the Vitus trademark for 10 years in 1967, so we can assume that they bought the Vitus brand in 1957.

AFAIK, no Vitus tubes were produced between 1957 and 1971 when Antoine Dumas, the new owner and manager revived the production.

As he made a success with the Super Vitus 971, he did the same for the Rubis tubes in 1974 with the Rubis 888 serie.

Bianchigirll 

If you craved all the stuff off the frame that would make a sweet fixie!