Campagnolo

I got this book for Christmas and already spend hours enjoying the pictures and reading about the history of this inventive Italian company.
"As Leica is to cameras and Ferrari to racing automobiles, Campagnolo is to cycling: the designer, developer, manufacturer and supplier of the finest parts for bicycles ever made. Campagnolo's jewel-like brakes, pedals, derailleurs, cranksets, and wheels are acknowledged throughout the world as the most desirable, reliable, and race-worthy of all. Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion is a celebration of this legacy that will be cherished by every cycling fan.Campagnolo's rich history in racing began with the founder, Tullio Campagnolo, a racer himself who turned to creating better bicycle parts when he found the equipment of the day not up to the rigors of professional competition. Campagnolo steadily created a series of patented designs that are still in use today as the fundamental standards upon which modern parts are based.Campagnolo's mastery of advanced materials is similarly unequaled. A pioneer in the use of titanium, magnesium, aluminum and carbon fiber, Campagnolo has supplied equipment for NASA's lunar lander and for Ferrari's Formula 1 racecars.Campagnolo's components have been part of more cycling victories than any other brand, and the roster of greats who have ridden the parts to championships is legend. Yet the same equipment used by world champions is available to everyday cyclists, and it is on this universal appeal that Campagnolo's enviable reputation has been forged.With its deeply researched history (much of it from the company's private archives and untold until now), spectacular color photography, rich text and lavish presentation, Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion is a book for every lover of the sport of cycling, as well as connoisseurs of the bicycle itself."

Paolo Facchinetti is a journalist and writer who has served as editor for a number of leading Italian periodicals. He has written numerous books that reconstruct the history of cycling. He is currently a lecturer of cycling history at the University of Siena.
Guido Rubino is a freelance journalist and writer who specializes in cycling technology. He is renowned for his ability to clearly describe intricate mechanical objects and their technological evolution.

Campagnolo's original claim to fame is his invention of the
QR or 'quick release' system of the bicycle wheel.
It is fascinating to read (and see the photographs) of the progression made in the world of cycling.
For a 'lay person', a bike is a bike.
Yeah, maybe the color or shape of handlebar/frame is somewhat different, but to many a bike is bike.
Until you discover the different materials used, such as steel in the old days, (making a come-back now), aluminium, titanium and carbon fiber. It is amazing to see how they have been able to reduce the weight and improve the aerodynamic qualities of these gorgeous, sexy, race machines!

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1943:
Winged wheel Campagnolo was established in 1933 by Tullio Campagnolo.In 1943, exactly ten years later, the first Campagnolo logo was made official: the historic winged wheel. The design reflects the company well, highlighting the quick release, a component that owes its origins to the ingenious intuition of the company founder and that remains today the universal standard.

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1948:

In the years that followed, the Campagnolo logo was changed slightly; initially the word cambio (rear derailleur) was moved outside the wheel to make it more visible and then, in 1948, it was removed altogether as the company’s range had expanded.The Vicenza-based company no longer focused exclusively on the manufacture of rear derailleurs and began manufacturing numerous other components for the bicycle. The wings were also redesigned and streamlined, reflecting the desire to take flight effortlessly and reach a standard a step above other parts manufacturers.

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1982-1986

The winged wheel was updated in 1982 a new logo, a twist on the original from the ‘40s, was registered. The new design was much more basic than its predecessors; the wheel lost its spokes keeping only the rim, the wings and quick release were stylized further to convey the overall impression of being light.The same winged wheel was changed again in 1983 inside the shield designed specially in celebration of the company’s fifty years in business and, with the addition of the writing CAMPAGNOLO, is the shield that still symbolizes the company around the globe, appearing on each company product. (source re: Campy Logo's: Italian Cycling Journal)