1959... Phillips or Raleigh? Help!
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1959... Phillips or Raleigh? Help!
I am experienced in American vintage bikes, but I confess I don't know much about English ones. A seller on ebay claims to be selling a '59 Phillips Manhattan. Can someone in the know please advise me what year Raleigh took over Phillips. The seller sounds uncertain. Thanks so much! I am ISO a genuine Phillips - not Raleigh.
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As I understand it, TI already owned Phillips by the mid 50's and acquired Raleigh in 1960, after which the Phillips factory was (gradually?) closed down and the brand moved to Raleigh. That doesn't answer your question, though.
Assuming the seller got the date from the hub, then I'd assume the bike left the factory within a few months of the hub date, so you're probably looking at a Phillips-made bike. But it is possible that it was assembled at the Raleigh plant using parts made at the Phillips plant at an earlier date. Such things are known. Early Nottingham Phillips bikes sometimes still have Phillips Birmingham headbadges, for example.
I'd suggest you go look at the bike after memorizing the key Raleigh indicators -- the head lugs and the rear dropout are distinctive. Raleigh dropouts have an eyelet on the bottom, below the axle.
Assuming the seller got the date from the hub, then I'd assume the bike left the factory within a few months of the hub date, so you're probably looking at a Phillips-made bike. But it is possible that it was assembled at the Raleigh plant using parts made at the Phillips plant at an earlier date. Such things are known. Early Nottingham Phillips bikes sometimes still have Phillips Birmingham headbadges, for example.
I'd suggest you go look at the bike after memorizing the key Raleigh indicators -- the head lugs and the rear dropout are distinctive. Raleigh dropouts have an eyelet on the bottom, below the axle.
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As I understand it, TI already owned Phillips by the mid 50's and acquired Raleigh in 1960, after which the Phillips factory was (gradually?) closed down and the brand moved to Raleigh. That doesn't answer your question, though.
Assuming the seller got the date from the hub, then I'd assume the bike left the factory within a few months of the hub date, so you're probably looking at a Phillips-made bike. But it is possible that it was assembled at the Raleigh plant using parts made at the Phillips plant at an earlier date. Such things are known. Early Nottingham Phillips bikes sometimes still have Phillips Birmingham headbadges, for example.
I'd suggest you go look at the bike after memorizing the key Raleigh indicators -- the head lugs and the rear dropout are distinctive. Raleigh dropouts have an eyelet on the bottom, below the axle.
Assuming the seller got the date from the hub, then I'd assume the bike left the factory within a few months of the hub date, so you're probably looking at a Phillips-made bike. But it is possible that it was assembled at the Raleigh plant using parts made at the Phillips plant at an earlier date. Such things are known. Early Nottingham Phillips bikes sometimes still have Phillips Birmingham headbadges, for example.
I'd suggest you go look at the bike after memorizing the key Raleigh indicators -- the head lugs and the rear dropout are distinctive. Raleigh dropouts have an eyelet on the bottom, below the axle.
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Many thanks! The seller took some good pics, and the bike does NOT appear to have Raleigh features as you described. If I can pick this up for the price listed right now it won't matter much if it turns out to be a Raleigh. It will be a fun restoration project for the money. It's a neat bike in any case. I've not seen many with a fully enclosed crank and chain guard. Thanks again.
She still has it, and rides it, and says whenever she sees me that it is her favorite bike of all time.
But in all honesty i have no idea whether it was a Raleigh product of one of an independent Phillips maker.
I dimly remember it as a very nicely appointed and colorfully painted and decaled Raleigh, with some
more deluxe features like a Dynohub, that marked it as something like a high end Raleigh 3 speed, but
with a Phillips headbadge and decals.
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