1940s Helyett Added

1940s_Helyett (1)I have just added some pictures of a 1940s (I think) Helyett Speciale.  It is a very well preserved bike with original finish and mostly original parts

I would be very grateful for any information you may have that would help me tie down the date more accurately (please use the form on the Contact page).  My current thinking is that it was made a year or two after the end of WWII – much later and the 3-speed Simplex Champion du Monde derailleur would be thought very outdated on a classy racing bike (I am assuming that this is not quite “top tier” because Helyett’s best bikes typically had an all-Reynolds 531 frame, but only a notch below it with its 531 butted main tubes).  I have no idea when Reynolds 531 tubing exports got back in gear after 1945, but, with Britain being somewhat indebted, there was a major push on exporting anything that could be exported, and raw material supplies were prioritized for export industries, so supplies would likely resume with little delay.