I used to import some Gitane bikes into the UK, but it wasn't until I started visiting France on a very regular and prolonged basis that I came to realise that Gitane built far more special bikes than I had realised In French terms "SSC" usually means "Speciale Service Course" and it was usually used to describe bikes frames, components for use at Pro level..ie top of the range. I suppose it means "Special For Racing Use".
in the 1980s I was lucky to have direct contact with a number of French manufacturers, such as Mercier, Peugeot, Motobecane, Lejeune and Gitane. Most of these manufacturers sponsored "amateur nursery teams" in which they groomed their neo-pros..ie the very famous ACBB, which spawned riders such as Alan Peiper, Sean Yates,Stephen Roche, Robert Millar etc. all such manufacturers woud also sponser other amateur"cadet" teams..and this practice continues to this date. The top local team in the area where I have my house in France is sponsored by MBK, while another one not too far away is sponsored by LaPierre..a Dijon-based manufacturer that has an enormous presence on the French home market. Gitane, somewhat eclipsed these days, still does some sponsoring.
All these manufacturers have or had specialist "ateliers" -"Ateliers SSC" in which the custom frames were made both for riders such as those already mentioned and individuals in some circumstances. I have recently acquired a 1981 SSC Motobecane..the workmanship is superb.
Much to my surprise over the last three years or so has been the number of good quality GITANE track frames I have found in France, far more than of any other brand. There are quite a few tracks in an around Brittany where Gitane are based, and after the T-d-F there are at least a couple of track "Criteriums"..the tradition of track racing in that area is very strong as it is throughout much of FRance.
It would not surprise me if this particular Gitane track frame is not a product of their SSC atelier. Other than that there is a possibility that it could be the work of Daniel Salmon, a Brittany based frame-builder of some distinction --remember his narrow mudguards -- and who has been known to build for Gitane.
A few photos would soon help sort the matter out.
Norris Lockley...Settle Uk