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1938 Brilliant (above).
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Many early frames used Chater Lea castings.
There are no serial numbers on early bottom brackets.
All numbers in the above bb shell are enamelers numbers (in cyan)
--multiple numbers indicate multiple resprays or renovations--,
or Chater Lea's article number (yellow). |
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1940 Competition (above). |
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1946 Competition (above). |
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(Above) 1947 SuperSpecial. Nulli Secundus looked the same. |
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(Above) 1948 Earl's Court Show model with Chater bb shell. |
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In 1949 the Latin Series was designed. The Magnum Opus bb shell is shown above. The Magnum Bonum is below. These became the standard bb shells for these two models for the next 25 years.
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In the mid 1960s, the standard MO bb shell was slightly
modified to include tangs along the chain stays.
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Other models retained their own distinctive bb shells:
above a 1957 Experto Crede,
below a 1957 Vade Mecum, and a 1951 Cognoscenti. |
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Some bb shells bore the Hetchins
name cast into the metal
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Typical 1960s models featured fairly simple bb shells, often cut and slashed,
as on the Mountain King above. Below, The Plus, a modified Experto Crede design. |
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Typical 1970s models featured simple bb shells, often cut and slashed,
or completely unembellished, as above.
Below left, Mt. King, right Keyhole Spade. |
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Deluxe models often featured extra tangs on the bb
(as well as on the brake bridge), as on the 1970 Vade Mecum iii dlx above.
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Above, another typical 1970s variation (on a Spyder). |
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Typical 1980s variations:
above left, 1985 Scorpion Bonum,
above right 1983 Scorpion Bonum deluxe;
below Novus Ductor.
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Above 1984 Magnum Bonum Spyder;
below 1986 Magnum Bonum Spyder deluxe.
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1980s Magnum Opuses displayed nearly all possible combinations of tangs.
Three examples below: |
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Below: 1990 Magnum Opus deluxe.
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Below: two Magnum Opus Millennium examples.
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Below: 2020 Mag. Opus in Reynolds 953 stainless.
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