A recent discovery in the UK, this is a rare machine built by little known constructeur George Ferrand in Macon, France around 1952 for Medwin Clutterbuck, a well known English Cycletourist. He travelled extensively in France, the UK and USA both pre and post-WW2. He was CTC Consul for Sussex and wrote a self-published memoir of his cycletouring adventures when he was in his 80’s. Prior to World War II Clutterbuck became friends with Rabauld, Editor of ‘Le Cycliste’, as well as the cartoonist Jacques Faizant, and he also met a jeweller and cyclotourist called Charles Daussin, who lived in Macon. It is assumed that Daussin introduced him to Ferrand.
The bike is on 650B wheels and is made of light tubing. It has numerous nice details: Finely electric welded frame, custom front and rear racks and bottle cage, hand made front changer, Herse type cartridge bottom bracket, custom stem with brazed on boss for bell, internal brake and dynamo cabling, internal expander seatpost, brazed on mileometer bracket, rear cable guide, chain slap guard.
Parts fitted are top quality too with the rare 5 speed Cyclo gear, MaxiCAR hubs, Bell wingnuts, Mavic canti’s, Stronglight 49D, AVA bars, GB end plugs, Lefol Le Paon guards, Ideale 48 Professionel alloy saddle, Wolber Super Randonneur tyres, Ad-Hoc pump, Radios lights and JOS dynamo.
It is completely original except for later Mavic rims. It is light and rides very well indeed.
Does anyone out there know anything about this fine maker?
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