Here is the catalog of Shimano in 1982. The main model in this catalog was AX series which pursued aerodynamics.
AX was put on the market in the spring of 1981. It caused a sensation in the world market at the beginning of announcement. There must be a number of cyclists who remember the photograph of a big wind tunnel and a rider who put on a silvery smooth wear and a streamline helmet.
However, AX series was a great failure. It had gotten unfavorable criticism such as vulnerable DD pedal, uncertain movement of the brakes which had difficulty of maintenance, and poor aerodynamic effect and the like. AX had disappeared from the market two years later after all.
Later, Shimano renewed the productive framework and the conception, progressed to the success of Dura-ace 7400 through the new product 105 and the model change of 600 EX. You must know well about the following prosperity of Shimano. We can say that the great failure of AX series had built up present Shimano.

This is the front cover. The design which imagined aerodynamics was printed on the upper side.

This is a table of contents

The page explained about the conception of the group-set of Shimano.

There was a catch phrase "Now, it is a time of aerodynamics". It was shocking word in those days.

Shimano had invested 5,000,000,000 yen in the huge wind tunnel which was installed in the factory.

The page explained about the aerodynamic theory of bicycle and the experimental result in detail.

The catalog explained about the drive system such as double-cut, offset crank arm, DD pedal, and super shift gear. Those device improved efficiency of the drive system and the gear change system. Double cut and super gear shift developed into HG mechanism.

Nowadays Uni-balance system and cassette free were ordinary devises. However, People used to complain that the compatibility was disregarded because to thrust a boss type freewheel into a hub shell was ordinary in those days.

New positive mechanism was used for AX as a derailleur positioning system. The positioning system was attached to the rear derailleur. The present STI has the positioning system on the shift lever.

This is a brake mechanism which was used for AX. Its purpose was improvement of efficiency of the braking system and aerodynamics.
I had composed a bicycle which was equipped with this brake. The adjustment was quite troublesome.

Though nowadays the brake lever which wires run along handlebar and covered by the bar tape is ordinary, People used to say in those days that maintainability was not good. Moreover people felt uncomfortable feeling to it first because of difference of structure. However, the operability was better than previous one.

The catalog explained about the trait of the several mechanisms other than AX.

Triple gear was Deore series. It has been produced until now as a group-set for MTB.

As for DURA-ACE 10, the chain pitch was shortened from the normal pitch 12.7mm to 10 mm. It was downsized, lightened, and strengthening. Though there was a road racing model during the trial manufacturing process, only the track-racer model was put on the market.

This is the normal chain pitch model for track-racer.

This is Dura-ace AX. The rear derailleur became vertical type in consideration of aerodynamics. It was equipped with new positive mechanism (one of the derailleur positioning system), direct wire guide and sealed mechanism.
The front derailleur shaped streamline, and had horizontal parallel arms.

As for the shift lever, two kinds of plinth such as an ordinary mount plinth and a top mount plinth were prepared.
The hub was equipped with a cassette sprocket of Super shift gear and a plastic cover in consideration of aerodynamics.

Here are the chain wheel which had characteristic offset arm, and Dyna-drive pedal.

The catalog introduced the brake lever which was a first aerodynamic model in domestic parts, the aerodynamic type brake which was called parallel brake (it was not called centre-pull), the seat post with one fixing bolt, and the streamlined stem.
By the way Armstrong had used this brake for his TT Trek on the Tour de France several years ago.

The introduction of 600 AX is started from here.

Hub, cassette sprocket, chain wheel, and the pedal were introduced in this page.

And the brake set, the seat post, the streamlined bottle.

This is the normal type of Dura-ace.

The basic mechanism was almost same as AX.

The brake set was the side-pull type which was mainstream. Shimano might not have wanted to design it as an copy of Campagnolo.

600 EX was introduced from this page. The arabesque pattern was characteristic. I didn't like this design in those days.

The design of the chain wheel was almost same as Dura-ace. The large flange hub was also prepared for the cassette type.

The product conception of UG chain has continued for a long time.

This is Deore first generation. This name has been used until now. MTB was not announced yet in those days. Therefore Deore was sold as a touring model.

As for the crank of touring bicycle, the five pin type such as TA, Stronglight, Pro-dynamic were used widely. Shimano also produced the five pins type crank. However, Shimano may have hesitated about the combination of five pins crank, forging outer-ling, and DD pedal.

Dura-ace which was not EX type was still produced in those days.

High grade freewheel of those days was gold color. There were the other gold color models such as Suntour Pro-compe and Regina Oro, too. The frame end part EE was added to SF, SFR and UF. There was variety of frame end parts.

This is the 600 series regular type. There must have been a number of cyclists who had used this hub, UG free-wheel, and UG chain for touring bicycle.

Press end and several kinds of small parts.

Shimano used the conception of aerodynamics for ordinary parts, too.

This is the front free system which was often used for junior sports bicycle of those days. You could change the gear even while you stop the pedaling because the chain-wheel had been spinning continually.

This was a mechanism for beginner. The name was positive pre-select system (so-called Positron). The derailleur which was equipped with the transmission positioning system didn't have a spring to move a pantograph. The thin shifter wire was a push-pull system. Though cyclists of those days thought that this kind of derailleur positioning system was for beginner, it became the mainstream in present group-set of Shimano and Campagnolo.

The table which explained about recommended combination of the group-set was introduced through four pages from this here.

This is the back cover.