OK gang, time to play is this a fraud, and if so, what might it really be?
I recently acquired a 70s vintage frame that has been repainted, and had "Asso" decals applied.
The logo has a yellow spade and the word Asso is flanked by little multi-coloured wings on the down
tube. You can see the same decals on a very different frame recently sold by the same seller at
http://ebay.com/
Eventually I'd like to begin to work out what it really is (if it's not an IDEOR ASSO). I realize pictures are crucial, and I'll try to arrange some soon. But for now, in addition to the above-described lugs (with angular heart-shaped window cutouts on top, and a side profile very similar to the prugnat lugs on the CR website), the clues include 27.0 seatpost size, long concave seatstay caps, rear brake-bridge reinforcements with cutouts matching the lugs, long chainstays (over 43 cm), campy long dropouts, a slotted italian bottom bracket shell with cable guides on top, brazed-on shifter posts but no top tube cable guides. Of course things like the cable guides could have been altered and covered up by the repaint. Also (cringe) no serial number, though no obvious signs that one has been removed either.
Opinions and speculations welcome. More info forthcoming.
Ron Cooley
Saskatoon, Canada.