Bianchi - Piaggio era - frame date code

[GaryF]

I have what I think is a 1982 Bianchi Campione Del Mondo. I think it is 82 mainly because of what I think is a date code stamped into the top of the seat tube cluster. The frame also has a serial number stamped at the top of the seat tube cluster but on the opposite side of the cluster.

The date code is: 2.A The '2' indicating 1982. I have heard that the 'A' may indicate a period of time throughout 1982 that the frame was built - but this is just guess work at this stage.

My questions are: Does anyone else have a Bianchi of the Piaggio era (approx. '80 to '85) and know its build date? Does the frame have a date code that matches the known build date?

Why is this important to me? Because I am probably getting a little obsessive in my old age.[/b]

[AUbicycles]

Hi

This made me a bit curious so I had a look around the net and found out that other Bianchi riders are baffeld by the serial numbers. From collecting numbers it is possible to find the year however the letters have not clearly been able to so a sequence such as months or days because the letter M for example will appear that throws a theory off. M for production location (Milan) is also unprobably due to the appearance of letters that can't be trace with certainty back to a production facility.

This sounds like you have a task to solve and to tell the world of Bianchi fans the answer. (Could be something truely Italian... A is for "Antonio" and M is for "Marco").

[europa]

Hah. Flamin' Italians. I can remember when Ducati motorcycles only came out of the factory with matching (let alone correct) carby jets by sheer fluke. Serial numbers probably owe more to the strength of the vino at dinner last night, the number of glasses and how well it affected the missus of the stamper.

Richard