luns

I did some more digging. The old Silca actually had a scan of their 1960 catalog on the web around 2006 or so in a SWF file where you could drag the corner of the page across the screen to flip pages. The images are pretty small - 240x380 - so only large text is readable, but at least you could get the categories and pictures. I have a suspicion that this may be the 'old catalogs' new Silca used in their email, and they couldn't scan it because it's already a scan with resolution that's too embarassing to share nowadays..

There's a few pages of portable (presumably bicycle) pumps in celluloid, steel and aluminum including the Impero. After the bicycle pumps are a few pages of other pumps. There's two pages of workshop pumps with a three-foot cast-iron base, then pages of Scooter (Lambretta) and Motorcycle pumps that are similar to the portable pumps but with a folding wire foot, a so-called 'Family Type' with a funny stirrup base, and then a page and a half of pumps for cars and Motocarro (motorized tricycles like Thai Tuktuks).

The pumps on the scooters and cars pages appear to have a wire foot that's folded up much like the SKS Renncompressor's feet. With the wire folded up, the remaining cast foot that it attaches to looks very small, and may be what the folks at Silca thought is your pump. However, I should mention, none of the pumps in the catalog have a pressure gauge.

After the pump parts are a lot of interesting parts, tools and accessories I never knew Silca made.

The new Silca, when they announced their Pista reissue in 2017, shared the story of Fausto Coppi's mechanics asking Silca to design the pump that in 1962 came out as the Pista. I've had my doubts about the story, but at least the year seems plausible for the first inclusion of a pressure gauge on a floor pump.

luns

Wanted to include this image with my first post, but didn't have enough posts to do so until now.


Pompa Strada, from https://www.silcapompe.it/engl/pagine/pmanometro.htm, Aug 2003

cjenrick

did they use 531 tubes for those pumps?

i love Silca floor pumps, if you get a good one the nozzle goes on and off real easy and does not leak.

and they are light enough to put in a back pack for serious flat repair.