Schwinn Le Tour identification

[Shelbygt]

A neighbor put this on the curb years ago to be hauled away. At the time I was consumed with building our house but grabbed it. I don’t see a serial anywhere but it does say made in Japan which leads me to believe sometime in the 80’s. Is there a good way to pin it down. It’s in amazingly nice original condition. I’m not sure what he was thinking.
I’m not looking to sell. In fact it’s on my short list to get going.

 

[GTs58]

Nice trash day find! It's a little earlier than an 80's though. Opaque Red was offered on the first ones to come out and that was in 1974. That color was offered for three years, 1974-75-76. If it's a 76 model the build date will be stamped on the head badge, and sometimes it's really hard to see. No serial # under the crank? I'll post this list so you'll have it when you find the number. But it's one of the three years mentioned.

 

[Shelbygt]

View attachment 1380153

Nice trash day find! It's a little earlier than an 80's though. Opaque Red was offered on the first ones to come out and that was in 1974. That color was offered for three years, 1974-75-76. If it's a 76 model the build date will be stamped on the head badge, and sometimes it's really hard to see. No serial # under the crank? I'll post this list so you'll have it when you find the number. But it's one of the three years mentioned.

View attachment 1380153

No serial under the crank. I was thinking the ones in the 70’s were made in the USA. This one was made in Japan?

 

[RaleighRich]

That is a great find! I just found an '81 Le Tour on Craigslist, and it is a really nice riding bicycle.
Here is a link to Schwinn catalogs that may help with an ID if no serial number can be found:

https://bikehistory.org/catalogs/

 

[GTs58]

Having no serial number is just weird. Since the drop outs look like the same part on left and right, maybe they goofed up and welded the drop out on the wrong side with the serial number to the inside? No doubt that's a 74-76 model and there should be components with date codes, even the reflectors will be dated but a 74 dated reflector could easily have been used on a 75 model. No date code stamped on the head badge either? I don't think Schwinn built any of the Le Tours until they opened up the Greenville plant. Eric Amlie posted this news letter.

 

[Shelbygt]

Having no serial number is just weird. Since the drop outs look like the same part on left and right, maybe they goofed up and welded the drop out on the wrong side with the serial number to the inside? No doubt that's a 74-76 model and there should be components with date codes, even the reflectors will be dated but a 74 dated reflector could easily have been used on a 75 model. No date code stamped on the head badge either? I don't think Schwinn built any of the Le Tours until they opened up the Greenville plant. Eric Amlie posted this news letter.

View attachment 1380724

I can’t find anything. It’s weird alright. Here’s the head badge.

 

[Shelbygt]

 

[GTs58]

Well, no head badge stamping so that narrows it down to a 74 or 75 model then. Any year markings on the hubs? I'm still dumbfounded there is no serial number. The way it's looking so far, I'd have guess this piece is one of the first ones and somebody at Schwinn forgot to tell them were or how on the serial numbers.

 

[Shelbygt]

I’m told there are numbers on the peddle crank and head stem? I’ll check the hubs.

 

[RaleighRich]

I’m told there are numbers on the peddle crank and head stem?

For what its worth -- No Hands the Rise and Fall of the Schwinn Bicycle Company states on page 102 that Schwinn imported its first lug framed bicycles in 1972. First was the World and soon after the Le Tour. Presumably from Japan. By the late 1970's Chicago began to make lug framed bicycles -- the Le Tour and Super Le Tour.
By the mid '80's Le Tours and Super Le Tours were made at Greenville, Mississippi. p 221

My '81 Le Tour shows as yours does, on the seat post, made in Japan, but the head badge states "Schwinn Chicago"
Serial # on it is on the left rear dropout, and begins 1B -- which Im assuming is February of 1981 -- it does match the '81 catalog and parts components.

No idea if this is of any help or not, but the sourcing of the Le Tours is interesting.