Originally Posted by
branko_76
Or....the
1979 Centurion that
cb400bill posted is pretty sweet looking. I like the subtle gold color, chromed lugs, polished alloy components, top tube cable guides and the absence of gaudy lettering. Maybe it's the lack of style that makes it visually pleasing.
The only thing that seems out of place for me is the bar tape, I'd go with brown to match the saddle.
I'm right there with you--I prefer a restrained look. But if someone new to the vintage bike world is wanting a bike specifically for the looks, Italian will have the looks and the pedigree (e.g. "Oh you have a Colnago/Cinelli/etc? Nice bike man") compared to the centurion. I don't think we can ignore the fact that branding makes some more desirable and stylish. I'm just as weak to it as well, I prefer a Miyata over a Univega despite some frames being identical.