Rough but Original?
That is how this bike came to me. It had probably been ridden very lightly for a couple of years and then stored for over 40 years! It was as original as you can get with, tires, cables, seat and brake pads all nearly unused but suffering from age deterioration. Some rust has diminished the chrome but it should be 90 percent salvageable. There are scrapes on the paint and the logos are faded but other decals and the head-badge look pretty good! This is just how I like to get a bike, I think this will clean up very nicely!
The component specs are mostly as shown in the catalog below but there are a couple of standout items. The Campagnolo Sport 3320 crank-set is an interesting model which was produced for only one year in 1971, making it exceedingly rare! It features a square taper, steel 3 arm spider and crank arms, paired with aluminum chain rings. It is rumored that these were made by Magistroni for Campagnolo. This could certainly be true since Magistroni made crank-sets for a number of other builders. This item alone is worth more than I paid for the bike!
Also, the Campagnolo Gran Turismo rear derailleur is pretty much an early 1970’s only item. It is stylish but heavy and can handle up to a 36 tooth freewheel cog! It is matched with a Valentino Front derailleur which seems to be essentially a re-introduction of the venerable Gran Sport unit which Campagnolo had sold throughout the 1950’s and 60’s.
The saddle is a French Per John #2, which is probably a mid-grade saddle used to fill the need. Other saddles may also have been used on this model since only “leather racing saddle” was the only specification used in the catalog. Whatever leather saddle was in stock was probably slapped on this model!
Before pics
This is how the bike looked right out of the box. It was packed very poorly by someone who probably was not an enthusiast and was just getting rid of the bike. That’s okay with me, although I may not get to it right away, the bike is in good hands now!
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- 1972 Atala, Milano
Further updates.
The Utah Randonneur 
February 7, 2023 at 4:17 pm
Wow, this photo really takes me back. I bought this exact bike back in 1972. The Campagnolo Gran Turismo derailleur was the state of the art for wide-range gearing back in those days…before the Japanese came up with slant pantograph derailleurs the following year…but it was a horrible and heavy piece of componentry, really. It went through the spokes during a tour of the Black Hills in South Dakota and I had to replace it with a locally available Shimano Crane GT. I was bummed that my “all-Euro” Atala now had a Japanese component but I had to admit is shifted much, much better (and weighed about a pound less!).
They were originally supplied with a beautiful Stronglight 93 crankset. Someone must have swapped it out for a steel cottered job on the bike you got.
November 27, 2021 at 11:20 am
Where did you find the Atala Catalog? I would love to find a 1969 version. Do you still have the catalog? If so could you scan or photograph at a higher resolution? I have a 1969 Record Professional 101 mostly the same components. I’ve toyed with the idea of restoring it.
November 27, 2021 at 11:53 am
I just found it with a search engine. Try Atala catalogs and select the “images” result on the toolbar and you can see the results. Good luck!
July 27, 2020 at 6:10 pm
This write up is a few years old and maybe you won’t see this as a result, but the bike you have pictured and mine appear near-identical. I picked up mine in Houston to get back into riding a few years ago and hung it up about 2 years ago. I’m about to run it into a shop this week to get its first time while in my possession and figured it was time to good more on the bike. Your article has been a very entertaining and informative read. Thank you.
Sorry for the typos.
July 28, 2020 at 9:23 am
Let me know how it turns out! It’s always nice to see a “sister bike” and another version of a build!
This is how mine finally ended up.
August 26, 2017 at 12:17 am
I’ll be watching this one…
December 23, 2016 at 11:04 am
Nice find! A wonderful time capsule that brings me back to simpler days. The top of the line Atala frames (like yours) were pretty much as good as any of their time. The GT rear derailleur and Sport 3320 crank are seldom seen. Also, I have always had a fondness for the no nonsense look of Nuovo Tipo hubs. As I remember, they competed with the popular Normandy hubs but came with the Campy pedigree. Fiamme hoops were thought the best of their day. I say clean it, ride it and enjoy, lucky you!
Jim