RRA "special"

[3wheeler7]

Wow, BIG news just in! I contacted the guy I bought the bike from, he'd already told me it was his uncles who worked at Raliegh, it now turns out he was a director by the name of Anthony Crump - it was built for him hence the AC in the frame number!
Seller doesn't know what he was a director of - he just knew him as Uncle Tony. Hoping to meet the seller again soon as he's not far from me.

 

[vcballbat]

Wow, BIG news just in! I contacted the guy I bought the bike from, he'd already told me it was his uncles who worked at Raliegh, it now turns out he was a director by the name of Anthony Crump - it was built for him hence the AC in the frame number!
Seller doesn't know what he was a director of - he just knew him as Uncle Tony. Hoping to meet the seller again soon as he's not far from me.

Thats great news, hopefully you will be able to find out more about the history of Anthony and his role with Raleigh. I'm still trying to find out more about Ian Phillips Chairman of Raleigh from 76-7? till 81, would like to know where he worked before and after his time at Raleigh?

 

[3wheeler7]

Yes indeed, I'll start digging, I know a ex- Raleigh Product Manager who might be able to help, haven't seen him since pre-Covid though.

 

[vcballbat]

What your 'Manager Special' and the two Alan Oakley bikes have in common is the non standard RRA BSA 68mm bottom bracket shell. This makes me think we're they all special builds, prototype or ex race bikes fitted with the latest cotterless cranks from Campagnolo, Stronglight etc. Alan Oakley's bikes were definitely more race focused, he also had an SBDU Dynaflite given to him.

 

[3wheeler7]

I think there's some truth in what you say, Raleigh must have made many prototypes and rolling test beds, especially when they were playing catch-up and ditching the hub gears on the lightweights in the late 50s.

 

[3wheeler7]

A quick update, browsing the V-CC archives online I found a Raleigh brochure from 1974 which actually pictures the original owner of my bike.
I know his name was Anthony Crump and the seller (nephew) told me he worked at Raleigh, possibly a manager, and the bike was built for him, as mentioned earlier in this thread.
Turns out he was a designer in the Toys and Prams division, so obviously you didn't have to be very far up the food chain to get a bike built specially for you back in the day!