>>>When did Merckx start putting his own name on the downtube? Does anyone know whether the frames made before 1980 used a different headbadge than the ones produced after he started his own framebuilding business? Lou Deeter, Orlando FL<<<
It is my understanding that Merckx started building his own frames (uh, producing frames under his name in his own shop**) in 1980, and that Ugo De Rosa helped him set up that operation. Merckx subsequently produced a "10th Anniversary" frame in 1990 and a "20th Anniversary" frame in 2000, commemorating his start in 1980. The first frames produced were practically identical to De Rosa frames of the era.
This doesn't really answer Lou's question, which I am also curious about. Did De Rosa produce frames for Eddy, bearing his name, prior to 1980?
** from a very early Merckx catalog describing the frames:
"..all are built with the care and attention of craftsmen who really love their art. All of us at Eddy Merckx Cycles, myself, Ugo De Rosa, and the entire team - are united in a single unswerving aim..."
Wayne Bingham
Falls Church VA