Carlton Cobra frame - curved stays

[ladiek]

I bought it from a guy who's father was an avid Carlton collector who apparently had several Carlton bikes.
It is not known whether or not he had any connection with the factory, however distant but he was not an employee.
There is a possibility that he did because he travelled a lot in the UK.
It is my belief that the frame was made as a protoype around the later 1950's - early 1960's period, when I suspect the "curly" Hetchin's frames were being produced, but I haven't checked their manufacturing dates.
My hunch is that if the frame had been made in the factory around this time and Raleigh took over in 1960, they would have said, "Get rid of this - we're not interested" !
In building this frame there would have been no problem with curving the stays - they would have used straight stays from a bigger frame set.
In my opinion, the Accrillichrome finish was applied in the factory at the same time and until someone can enlighten me. I believe that it was a prototype frame.
How and where it was purchased, by the original [only] owner is anyone's guess.

 

[ladiek]

 

[Deleted member 1258]

View attachment 468837

It looks like its been rear ended.

 

[Cycleops]

If I saw it I'd think it was accident damage. At least the curly Hetchins was more artistic. I wonder why they didn't make the bend more interesting. Perhaps they thought they'd be accused of being copy cats.

 

[midlife]

The vibrant rear stays were patented by Hetchins....

 

[raleighnut]

It looks like its been rear ended.

Or ridden by a fat bloke.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Or ridden by a fat bloke.

I was rear ended somewhere around 1980 by a Cortina estate, the curve in the rear stays of my Townsend afterwards were similar to the picture posted by the op.

 

[Spokesmann]

Curious bike, one has to ask the question why? Everything else is typical late 1960s Cobra.

 

[carpenter]

The angle of the seat post wrap around looks dodgy - like it has taken the stress of the bending? so bending would have been after bike was constructed?

 

[Spokesmann]

Id check to see if this has a frame number on the LHS rear drop out.

 

[ladiek]

Dave Marsh [Universal Cycles] worked for Carlton after this frame was built and had no knowledge of it's existence.
This bike was not ridden by a fat bloke, or had a rear end shunt, or had someone riding on a rear carrier.
It was built in the factory, c 1966 as a special order for the original and only previous owner.
It is probably the only one ever built / sold.

 

[funk2monk]

I can not see what advantage would have been gained by building a frame like this? It would be weaker and the rear end would have flex when riding.
Looks to me like the result from an accident or badly stored??

 

[Venod]

I can not see what advantage would have been gained by building a frame like this? It would be weaker and the rear end would have flex when riding.
Looks to me like the result from an accident or badly stored??

I had a Ti frame with curved seat stays, not weak or flexible, there are several pictured in this link.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...HRRSDNMQsAR6BAgFEAE&biw=1707&bih=748&dpr=1.13

 

[raleighnut]

I can not see what advantage would have been gained by building a frame like this? It would be weaker and the rear end would have flex when riding.
Looks to me like the result from an accident or badly stored??

Nah but curved rear stays were a Hetchins idea,

 

[Paulus]

I've never seen a Hetchins with curved seat stays before.