OK..this will be my last contri on this subject,,,I'm even boring myself now..but I can still convince myself that I am, in some way, helping Kim...and isn't this what the List is all about.? Conclusive evidence this time...just possibly.
Looking at Kim's photos it is possible to se that the paleblue/white paint has been blown over the frame with little or no care and without even dismantling the parts such as the cble clips on the top-tube, the D/T gear levers, or removing the front mech. When these have been removed they have revealed orange bands beneath...indicating, I think, that the frame WAS originally orange.
The photo of the seat-tube shows the TdF transfer set in a blue panel. Well if you look up the photos of the Stella Replica 1954 Tour de France bike that was recently sold to a CR List member, on French ebay...you will see a bright orange Stella with a blue seat tube panel.
As Nelson has pointed out..his Louison Bobet gas-pipe frame had cameos of Louison on both the head tube and the seat tube. Looking at the Kim's photos of the headtube on his frame I can well imagine a Bobet cameo set against those World's bands..the space looks about just right..but so it does for a Stella badge.
I'm convinced that the frame is either an extremely good Stella or an extremely good Bobet...so get rubbing gently at that down-tube, Kim.
And Nelson..what is this word "sell"? ..how does that decline? Is it the past tense of "to buy". If it is then I never got so far in my studies of grammar.? My wife often says that it wasn't in any dictionary I have ever used..and as I reply.."Ignorance is bliss"
But you know, Nelson, I'm keeping all those bikes for that museum you and I are going to create in the Grand Hall of that Old Chateau of Count George's next door, in Sancerre, so that when all the Listers..or some of them at least, the Francophiles, come over in October to ride the Rallye des Vignobles - exactly that..a ride around the vineyards, calling in at all the major producers to fill the "bidon", we can open our doors to them and offer a few bottle's of the Count's "Chateau de Thauvenay" - an impeccable sauvignon blanc - to drink as they survey some of the best that France's frame-builders have been able to offer. And then it's up the road to look over J-M Duret's fine products.
Norris Lockley..over indulged on Stella frames..Settle UK