Re: [CR]Re: How the mighty are fallen

(Example: Production Builders:Teledyne)

From: "P.C. Kohler" <kohl57@starpower.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <030520040307.10843.736b@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Re: How the mighty are fallen
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 22:26:31 -0500



> those who succeeded at it in various eras should be allowed the
> opportunity of profiting from the market they helped create. to a
> builder, i never met any italian who believed it was a virtue to stand
> at a bench when the option to "grow the business" was possible.
> e-RICHIE

Sure, why not. It's great to see proud old names used to profit people and employ folks. No worries. Then again, it's mainly our, shall we say, disappointment, at what is being produced under those famous names that inspires us to cherish and collect that which, we think, MADE the name famous and thus profitable in the first place. I trust this isn't called Classic Rendezvous for nothing

I'll say it right here that what Raleigh makes now is, in my personal opinion, utter crap. Maybe it's a combination of being made anywhere as long as it's cheap or maybe because I intensely dislike modern bikes. But if I were a heron, I'd take considerable offense at being stuck on this rubbish.

So Raleigh (and indeed Masi) can and will do as they wish and good on them. But I am sure not going buy 'em or be inclined to like 'em or even accept 'em because it "keeps the name alive". When Raleigh stopped making machines in Nottingham, it died. Full stop. End of story.

Oh, I don't know a thing about Masi's.. sorry. But that thing on eBay looked a lot like a Vietnamese-made Raleigh. The only issue is which once proud marque is more insulted by the comparison.

Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA