I have this cool original sales and price brochure, "1952 HOLDSWORTH CYCLES," that illustrates the company's entire product range and specs for the year. From it, and in view of recent CR-Listers' deliberations about the perfect 'dream bike,' I thought it would be of interest to know what Sandy Holdsworth considered to be the ideal specification....
"... To a "WHIRLWIND" frame [starting @ 17 GBP] I would fit wheels built with F.B. Italian Large Flange hubs, Scherens Rims and fitted with D'Alessandro "Imperforabile" Tubulars. Transmission would be by Charter chainset and Renold Elite chain. The saddle would, of course, be a Brooks and I would choose the new "Swallow" cutaway type on alloy frame. Bars would be Aerts on an "Allez" hand-made steel stem with head cut away and picked out in red enamel. The two brakes G.B Coureur with "Mafac" levers.
"I wonder how nearly this is your ideal -- anyway, I bet that the lads' and lasses' eyes would bulge when you rolled up to the clubroom on the above outfit."
How's that for an authentic restoration goal?!
JB Froke
Pebble Beach, CA