Hi Aedan
Your Claud is an October 1951 built frame. From 1950 CB's were coded with a date in the frame number and the frames built were consecutive in that year. So in your case 19*51 *October *10*, *4843*rd built in that year.
The 1951 Avant Coureur Special model with the bi-laminated lugs taken from the Olympic Sprint model was only used for two years before it was redesigned for the 1953 (Claud Jubilee year) season until Claud Butler's business folded in 1956. The Brand name to be subsequently taken over by Holdsworth.
So your frame is quite rare in road model. I also have a 1951 AC Special of the same design in road form.
If you would like to contact me off list, and give me your home address, I can mail you a photocopies of the relevant catalogue pages for that model in that year.
Derek Athey Honiton, Devon UK
On Sun, Jul 4, 2010 at 2:52 PM, aedan <aedanmcghie@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've got a Claud Butler Avant Coureur Special. The frame number is 5110
> 4843.
>
> It is dark blue. By the time I started using it in the late '70s/ early
> '80s it had a B17N, Stratolite handbars, Dunlop wheels, Cyclo 4 speed gears
> and a Gnutti chain set and GB side pull brakes.
>
> Most of the moving parts were quite worn and only the B17N, headset and
> Stratolites are still in place.
>
> I'd be really interested if anyone could tell me more about this machine. I
> used it when I was going to school, Glasgow Uni and King's College, London.
> It's been resting since '93.
>
> aedan mcghie
>
> Airdrie
> North Lanarkshire
> Scotland