Before my protracted computer and adsl line problems..and the holiday in France that intervened..I had made a start, but not a very promising one, on researching the Mercier company, so this recent CR List discussion has given me reason to become more focused..that and the availablity of other people's photos.
The latest crop has help me establish a fairly definite time-line. The vntagevelos Poulidor-replica machine, given as a 1973 model is redolent of that period. The frame has Bocama long-point lugs , an RGF or Gargatte bracket shell..and one of those awful Nervex Pro pressed steel fork crowns,..standard non-engraved plated wrap-over seat-stay eyes, and Campagnolo long road drop-outs. The paint job is a sturdy pink/rose enamel.
Hugh's silver Mercier is also from that period, no later than the mid-70s..largely due to its Simplex drop-outs. Mercier being very committed to Campagnolo groupsets at that time. Hugh's renovated red Mercier, with its drilled drop-outs , unusual engraved top-eyes, Prugnat lugs, non-aero brake bridge, TA bottle bosses, number plate boss and reinforced fork crown is most likely to be from around 1977/78, and is probably from the firm's Prestige range. The metallic pink frame with its unusual top-eyes, Prugnat lugs, TA bottle bosses, RGF braket..and rear drop-outs I cannot readily recognise - they look a little like Tecnociclo and its awful self adhesive flimsy decals is probably also from the Prestige or Competition range hailing from the very end of the 70s and no later than 1980.
I wonder whether this frame might have been either a custom-build or one of Mercier's options built up with the TOUT MAVIC groupset.
There is little doubt that Peter's Columbus SL tubed frame is post-1981 - the year that Mercier introduced the Italian tube throughout its Competition range. There was just one frame for that range..like Peter's and all had full chrome forks, and the metallic paint job and those cursive typeface decals. The frame when equipped with Campag Super Record was called the Tour de France Super Record, Peter's is the Tour de France Record, then there was the same frame with Shimano Dura-Ace called the Tour du Monde model, and finally the same frame with Shomano 600 equipment was called the Mont faron model.
Another model that resembled these frames, but without the chrome fork, was the National, built from Super Vitus and equipped with TOUT MAVIC. The same frame equipped with Campag Gran Sport, but painted red was called the Giro, but painted dark blue and built up with 600EX it became the Lugano.
The very top of the range at this time, using the Tour de France/Monde names were the bikes equipped as indicated, but built onto a Vitis Duralinox 979 frame..anodised - Yes..you guessed it- in cyclamen pink. These frames appear occasionally on French eBay and are very tasty.
I notice that on Peter's frame, Mercier has dropped the external Cinelli crown in favour of a sleeker internal model, possibly a BOCAMA one. What puzzles me about the frame is why it has VITUS rear drop-outs..and not Campagnolo short road ones.
Leon's frame is also from the same period as Hugh's renovated Prestige model, but I have some serious doubts whether the front forks with their Tange drop-outs are original. However around that time, some very elegant Tange forks with Cinelli-like external crowns were appearing on the UK market..so who knows. I reckon that the difference in the number of drill holes in the rear drop-outs and the quality of their execution is prpobably a result of being made in the prestige workshop by a different builder.
Also launched at the same time, 1981 as this range, Mercier decided to go very avant-garde..and introduced their FORMULE 1 de Mercier range. These were bikes equipped with the same top-of-the range groupsets but built up on aero-tubed frames. Formule 1 Standard frames had 35 x 20mm tubes of fairly standard steel, whereas the FORMULE 1 Performant frames looked identical, except for the fork crowns but used Vitus aero section tubes. .
Bikes selected from these ranges were used by the MIKO-Mercier-Vivagel Pro team, Business for French bike-makers was becoming difficult by this time and there was much talk of grouping several manufacturers together, but Marcel Mercier, the boss of the company at that time decided that his strategy of launching new dynamic ranges of bikes would enable Mercier not only to survive, on its own, but even thrive. Unfortunately by 1983 a recession was hitting France and cycling itself was losing popularity to tennis and wind-surfing. Mercier tried to find strong partnerships with MAVIC and the grocery chain COOP, but the costs of contributing to the Pro team bankrupted the last named and shortly after, in November 1983, Mercier went bankrupt too. The company was reformed with cash from an industrialist who himself rode a Mercier bike..and he simply wished to keep the name going...but by 1985 La Nouvelle societe Mercier had closed its doors for good... it seemed at the time .or not quite.
Norris Lockley
Settle UK