Holdsworth Frame Numbers

[Bazwar]

Wow that's a lot older that I was expecting. Thanks for the info everyone. I should prob take a little more care with it. Pumped the tyres up and a squirt if oil yesterday and took it to the shops. Very nice to ride.
I'll get the wire brush out and see if I can bring back the chrome. Are these worth anything? Thinking I may keep it as I'm a big fan of unique finds and it's my size

 

[fiveSixteenths]

Wow that's a lot older that I was expecting. Thanks for the info everyone. I should prob take a little more care with it. Pumped the tyres up and a squirt if oil yesterday and took it to the shops. Very nice to ride.
I'll get the wire brush out and see if I can bring back the chrome. Are these worth anything? Thinking I may keep it as I'm a big fan of unique finds and it's my size

Don’t use a wire brush. Get some tinfoil and rub the surface. It’ll preserve what’s there and remove any tarnish / surface rust. Sounds weird. Works a treat.

 

[fiveSixteenths]

Wow that's a lot older that I was expecting. Thanks for the info everyone. I should prob take a little more care with it. Pumped the tyres up and a squirt if oil yesterday and took it to the shops. Very nice to ride.
I'll get the wire brush out and see if I can bring back the chrome. Are these worth anything? Thinking I may keep it as I'm a big fan of unique finds and it's my size

And do keep it! It looks in amazing condition and is worth hanging on to. Hilary Stone has one for sale (just a frame and fork) for comparison.
Here’s my work in progress La Qeulda, same year, same builder.

 

[dwscrimshaw]

Looks like the Holdsworthy 4D custom/branded numbering prediction of 1970 up until 1976 factory move has been revised since last time I looked at data - maybe a year ago? The prior prediction would have had your frame #4615 as being built in 1975.

The previous high frame number on Excel was #5511 which was also a Special and interesting that the number is not far from your own. The addition of a single not well documented frame #8548 has skewed the prediction. (This short lived series has a total to date of 39 serial numbers.)
See:
View attachment 574846
@ https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/...KZkN4TmM?resourcekey=0-j-KniNT_OXPNIbKK6YXhVg

As you say, the present prediction dates the build of your frame to 1973. There is no catalogue for 1974 but Kilgariff does list the Special model as being offered in 1974. It is conceivable that your frame was built in the second half of 1973 as a new 1974 model. This was often done.
Kilgariff: "1974 Holdsworthy models were .........and Special."

The present prediction for the early 70's Holdsworthy custom/branded frames is uncertain. Perhaps Dave Scrimshaw will comment.

Yes, I Don't disagree with this, having a 4 Digit number it must pre-date the 6D numbers and be an early one of these models. The is a good element of uncertainty in the 70's 4 digit group as it includes a good few numbers we do not know what to do with. May be this is a good number for this group as it was in production for a limited period only.

 

[dwscrimshaw]

Hi, this is starting to give me some clarity. The information from the seller I was given when I bought this was that he was a relative of the original owner who had the bike refinished in original colour with some slight alterations, possibly the under BB cable guide, relocating the cable stop on the drive side chainstay and possibly the cable guides on the top tube. The work was supposedly carried out by an ex Holdsworth employee, the quality of the finish is excellent !. I would point out that the '531' decal is an 'up to' July '73 style, although frames used this after that date. The Shimano 600 groupset fitted is also supposedly original, as it is an early 3 bolt crank group from about 1975, when this groupset was introduced. It has all been well looked after, a credit to the original owner, who I cannot trace, at the moment.
On another note, reading back through this thread, I take it you are interested in other Holdsworth frame numbers. If so I have two more for you.
The first is the Mistral (#(0)60972, therefore 1984 build ?) I owned in the mid to late '80s. A sable brown frameset I bought from a shop in Enfield (sorry cannot remember the name) in about '86, along with a Chorus groupset, to built myself my dream bike ! Pics of frame label and me with bike. This frame was slightly unusual as it had a cage mount under the top tube. Unfortunately traded for a mtb in '92 as the craze picked up.
The second is one I am the current custodian of (#049831, therefore 1983 build ?). This has been refinished, and again is unusual with no lamp mount on the front fork.

Thanks for the numbers, logged those. I assume these are both Mistrials? you didn't say for the blue one, but it looks that way to me.

 

[dwscrimshaw]

No. 8853 H to add to the list…

1948 Holdsworth La Quelda, Bill Hurlow stamped, completely original :)

Well, was pipped to the eBay post on this but the buyer very kindly gave me first refusal if he decided he was going to pass it on. Que two months later and now it has a new owner. Which I think makes me just the third. Last owner began stripping it down to clean and very, very gently polish...

www.retrobike.co.uk

Thanks, already clocked that one else where. Thanks again.

 

[gallen]

Hi,
I have a Holdsworth bike, serial 061942, which was purchased new. This has been in my garage for many years and was 'dug out' so that I could remove the pannier racks. From your records it appears a 1984 model which tallies. Can the model be identified from the photos?

 

[Dannystorm]

Thanks for the numbers, logged those. I assume these are both Mistrials? you didn't say for the blue one, but it looks that way to me.

Have another number for you, Dave. #048558. This is a 1983 Special I am refreshing for a friend, pictures attached.
And by the way the previous blue H was a Mistral.

 

[dwscrimshaw]

Thanks for the number

 

[Lotussiddharta]

Started new thread on this subject in the hope of identifying more numbers. With a lot of help from Doug (CBguy) on frame identification I have updated the numbering charts seen on the original thread.

A summary of the various numbering systems used by Holdsworth is shown below with more details on Goggle Cloud. This is based on a growing number of frames found on line and information from other websites on the subject. The following are the systems that these numbers seem to fall into.

Pre-War.
Post war 5 Digit numbers and the continuation of this from 1965.
Early 60's 4 Digit numbers (1962-1964).
Shop numbers from 1965 with 1st 2 digits for the year.
Early 70's 4 Digit series (with leading zeros) including branded frames.
6 Digit System from 1976.

The predictions shown are based on the usage of Factory issued numbers and steady production of 1500 frames per year up to 1961 and 1200 frames per year from 1965 when the shop had its own system. 6 Digit numbers have an increasing yearly production up to 1985. The Framework graphs show how this fits around known fixed points in production and frames with good dates or documents to back up their dates.

There are issues with this mainly around shop frames and others that seem to have taken longer to progress through the factory. There are also a few that show up too early, for which I have no real explanation. I have show these on the graphs to indicate the level of accuracy that can be expected with this approach.

All other frames with less clear dating have then been added in where they would occur along with the original description in the Excel sheet. I would be interested in any frame numbers, particularly those with good dates. Hope this is of interest.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... TNKZkN4TmM

Could this be a holdsworth? It's a mixte I bought online in the Philippines.. in one bike forum, a Holdsworth owner mentioned that he has PDS 7272 serial number