DISRAELI GEARS

Alfa

Alfa Junior derailleur main image Alfa 72 Especial derailleur main image Alfa Gran Sport? derailleur main image

The story of the early years of the Alfa, Zeus and Triplex brands is extremely confusing, but my guess is that it may go something like this;

  • In the early 20th century the town of Eibar in the Basque Country, Northern Spain, was famous for the manufacture of guns, sewing machines and bicycles. Three products that were often manufactured together, because they shared many technologies.
  • The Bascaran family, based in Eibar, was famous for manufacturing high quality handguns.
  • In the 1920s a co-operative called ‘Alfa’ formed in Eibar. It was one of the first workers' co-operatives to form in the region. It initially manufactured firearms but soon became very famous for making sewing machines. Alfa sewing machines are manufactured to this day. The 'Alfa' brand was one of the most famous in Eibar.
  • Possibly in 1926, Nicolas de Arregui and Marcelino Bascaran formed an engineering company in Eibar. I believe that the company name was ‘Arregui y Bascaran’.
  • After a mixed start Arregui y Bascaran had considerable success manufacturing mechanical hair clippers. They branded these 'Alfa'. I have never been able to find any kind of link between Arregui y Bascaran and the Alfa sewing machine company but the coincidence of brand names is certainly odd. Perhaps imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
  • Sometime around 1940 Nicolas de Arregui started to manufacture pull-chain derailleurs modelled on contemporary market-leading offerings from the French Simplex and Super Champion brands. The Spanish versions were discreetly stamped with the word ‘Arregui’ with no mention of ‘Bascaran’. Because of this I believe that the partnership may have split up prior to 1940.
  • Some of these Arregui derailleurs were branded ‘Simplex’ and some were branded ‘Alfa’. The US trademark application for ‘Alfa’ for bicycle parts states that the Alfa brand name was first used on October 13th 1947. However, I think that Nicolas de Arregui may, in fact, have used the ‘Alfa’ brand name for bicycle parts from the early 1940s.
  • During the period 1940 to 1960 Nicolas de Arregui applied for 6 patents or Utility Models for derailleur designs. However, during this same period, 4 other derailleur related applications were made by a ‘Antonio Bascaran’. It is possible that Antonio Bascaran was a relative of Marcelino Bascaran and that, by this point, the two families were already facing off in competition with each other.
  • I have never seen physical examples of any of the derailleurs covered by Antonio Bascaran’s pull-chain designs. However, in 1950, Antonio Bascaran appears to have successfully applied to trademark the word ‘Triplex’ for bicycle parts.
  • Sometime in the 1950s Nicolas de Arregui started to use the ‘Zeus’ brand name. The US trademark application for ‘Zeus’ states that the Zeus brand name was first used on October 13th 1954. As with the Alfa brand name, I find this date slightly suspicious - not least because the two brands were both first used on October 13th of the relevant years!
  • Sometime in the 1950s, possibly 1958, Nicolas de Arregui may have released his first copy of a Campagnolo Gran Sport. This was branded Zeus and called the Zeus Gran Sport.
  • Although, from this point, Zeus was Nicolas de Arregui’s premium brand, his company continued to manufacture ‘Simplex’ branded derailleurs into the 1960s, and ‘Alfa’ derailleurs into the 1980s.
  • Possibly around 1960 Antonio Bascaran produced his own copy of a Campagnolo Gran Sport. This was branded Triplex and called the Triplex Sport. I believe that this was the first of many Triplex models.