[CR]Fuji Line-up ; Newest , Finest , pause , Ace

(Example: Production Builders:Pogliaghi)

From: "Raoul Delmare" <R.Delmare@Charter.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <BA994132-3715A@216.137.74.82> <036b01c2ebb9$0e117f20$6400a8c0@compaqcomputer>
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2003 08:34:13 -0600
Subject: [CR]Fuji Line-up ; Newest , Finest , pause , Ace

We may be talking about something I have simply never seen . I may be totally ignorant of the facts here . Or maybe I've simply forgotten . There seems to be a faint hint of an old memory back there . . .

But , when I was shopping ( intensely ) for a road racing bicycle , as a young kid , in late 1972 , the only bicycle from Nippon ( "Japan" ) which impressed me , was Fuji . I read every bit of information I could find , about road racing bicycles , including the ones from Fuji .

At that time , Fuji had a slight problem with names . If you name your top-of-the-line bicycle , "Finest" , what do you do , at some point later , if you want to make a different model , a model even HIGHER up the line , but want to keep on making and selling the one that you'd been calling " Finest " !

So ? In 1972 Fuji had just come out with something more expensive , and just slightly lighter , than even the "Finest" ! They had just released a bicycle called the "Newest" ! The Newest was almost impossible to get , at least at first . In a bicycle shop in the suburbs of St. Louis ( huge shop ) I actually got to see and touch a Newest , right next to a Finest . The Finest was , of course , painted that beautiful dark-dark blue . The Newest was painted pearlescent white . But , the thinking was that I should do business with a bicycle shop close to home . And the new location of home , was 1,000 miles away from St. Louis . . .

The original "Ace" was a very good bicycle , at a very good price . But , there was a clear gap between the real road racers ( the Newest , and the Finest ) - and the Ace .

Working in bicycle shops , in the late 1970's & 1980's , I worked on a few old , used , late-1960's or early-1970's Fuji Ace bicycles . They were very good , "medium priced" , "sport-touring" bicycles .

So , did Fuji re-introduce the name Ace , as a top-of-the-line , real road racing machine , at a later date ? With Dura Ace ?

Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas


----- Original Message -----
From: Joe Bender-Zanoni
To: Jim Plaugher
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2003 6:39 AM
Subject: Re: [CR]First Fuji Ace Questions



> I would guess this bike came out in 1974. It was actually below the Newest
> in the line.
>
> By year the top road bikes sort of ran like this:
> '72: Finest
> '73 Newest, Finest
> '74 Newest, Ace, Finest
> '75 Pro, Newest, Ace, Finest, America (touring)
>
> Thats off the top of my head. I rarely see any of these bikes now.
>
> Joe Bender-Zanoni
> Great Notch, NJ
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Plaugher" <plaugher@avalon.net>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 9:44 PM
> Subject: [CR]First Fuji Ace Questions
>
> > Hi all,
> > I am a lurker and have been commuting on an off topic bike
> > for the last 15 years. I am interested in getting a fair weather
> > road bike together, and the PX10E a friend gave me , is the
> > start to this project. it will also be the subject of a future email.
> > This friend remembers fondly Fuji's first bike with Dura Ace.
> > Any one know if it was 1975 or 76? Are these around?
> > Anyone have a medium size Fuji Ace for sale or trade?
> > Thanks,
> > Jim Plaugher
> > Iowa City IA