Months ago, we discussed whether F.B. hubs were French or Italian. While researching the history of the technical trials for the next issue of Vintage Bicycle Quarterly, I just found an ad in "Le Cycliste, January 1939, page I" titled "The advantages of the F.B. hubs"
It says "Brevetées Brivio, Fabrication française, Supérieure" (translated: Patents Brivio, French manufacture, superior (better)"
It shows a nice photos of a cutaway hub (for wingnuts) showing the internals. It lists the many advantages. It lists two models: "vélo 330 grammes" and "tandem 440 grammes."
I am not saying that FB was a French company, but that at least they tried to create that impression. It is noteworthy that the ad only refers to F.B., never to "Fratelli Brivio."
I asked Ernest Csuka (of the Alex Singer shop), and he, too, was under the impression that FB was French, or at least had a French factory. When Campy bought FB, he said, the hubs continued to be shipped from France, and other Campy parts, too. So maybe they used the factory and warehouses for the French distribution?
Didn't Simplex do the opposite, make derailleurs in Italy for the Italian market?
Any comments welcome.
Jan Heine, Seattle