colombo  

this is a joe colombo "univer...
this is a joe colombo "universale chair" see http://www.designboom.com/history/joecolombo_chair.html

new vs. vintage
Although the chair has been made in diff heights ( I think it's a great idea !) and diff colors in the past, currently it is only produced by Kartell in white, with a SH of 43 cm (see page 40 in .pdf in attach). Other colors are vintage only. It retailed new last year (2009) for 122 EUR (more specs in .pdf).
I considered it at one point as terrace furniture (for reasons unknown, most plastic outdoor chairs are extremely ugly, i have no clue why). But I did not buy them: I did like the hole (rain water can get away), the color, and the not-extremly- high price. But.. they are not very robust. If you lean back in the chair, the backrest gives way with you, to the point that I would not trust my not- slender visitors with these chairs. Additionally, I did not feel very secure leaning back on two legs (ur, I do that sometimes). And the chair has a somewhat lower seating height (43 cm).
The Bartoli equivalent, Kartell chair 4875 (see .pdf page 41) is MUCH more robust when you lean back (backrest does not give way to the same extent - though still not the most robust chair ever), is cheaper new, comes in black, but... is not as lovely visually (subjective, naturally, just IMHO)..
Whitespike, what would you like the chair for ?
http://www.scoonwoon.be/pdf/Kartell_2008.pdf

Translation
PS. The Kartell catalogue linked above is Dutch, but you can translate keywords easily from Dutch to (bad) English with an online translator, such as Babelfish (below)
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

kartell itself
Just also have a look at the (extensive) Kartell website itself.
Sorry no diredct link possible to your chair.
http://www.kartell.it/global.aspx?idLingua=EN

Not sure. Dining maybe. But...
Not sure. Dining maybe. But I have DCMs. But I like the idea of a non wood, easy to clean, stacking chair for dining. That way they can be put aside easily to use the table for large art projects etc... I have been thinking of this chair off and on for a while, and there is a couple more in the same vein, like the other Kartell you mention. But as you say, the colombo is more handsome.
Most likely will not rid of the DCMs (they are a pain to find a suitable dining table for ....). But I even like the idea of this chair for an outdoor bistro set.... which I still need. I actually do prefer the white as well. Seems there is a similar chair by Vico Magistretti... Here it is.. Thoughts on this one?

Some
objects -- like their natural counterparts -- are designed with flexibility built in. Rather than resisting stress without deforming -- up to the point of sudden catastrophic failure -- they are meant to deflect/absorb stress by deforming in a limited and controlled manner. It is only the (perfectly understandable) perception of instability which makes these objects unsuitable -- to some.

I have a pair of these in red
and are marked Kartell South Africa 4867, but they have no hole area at back.
Are these rarer than the hole back one's? Also are they designed by Joe Colombo? Just curious...Thanks!

Call me weird
but when I see the name 'Columbo', I either think of Russ Columbo or Peter Falk.

Setag, the explanation of...
Setag, the explanation of the lack of hole on the lower back of the chair is quite amusing. When Kartell introduced the 'Universale' chair on the African market, it was not much appreciated because one considered it there as a 'monkey chair' (with a hole for the tail). Kartell then decided to produce it without a hole in Africa.
This is the real story, it's not a joke!

universale and selene chair
I own both the Joe Colombo Universale (2 red, 1 green, 1 white) vintage us production and Magistretti selene (2 green, 1 red, and 4 white) I like both chairs. My father weighs close to 295 and he sits in both chairs with no problem. I think the selene chair is more comfortable
while I would probably use the Colombo chair outside for the
hole in the back. Keep in mind that the Colombo chair will only stack 3 high while the Selene will stack six or seven high. Don't clean either of these chairs with an abrasive
cleaner (no bleach) it will damage the finish and over time weaken the strength of these chairs.

additional info
Another thing I have experienced with the colombo chair...
I have one chair missing the rubber feet on the bottom
and when I sit in this chair on a slick floor the legs tend to splay slightly while the chair with the rubber feet stays put on the slick floor. No problem with either on carpet. Of course this will only apply if you buy vintage chairs with missing rubber feet.

.
I can't find a pic of the Colombo stacked.
Must look great.
I've always liked them and I especially like a stacker.
A stool or a chair.
(lets me collect more chairs using the same real estate as a single. : )
I've not had great success using anything outside 24/7.
Except for the Solairs and the Emeco. They stay out all year.
I trashed these, Gerd Lang, in this old pic a few years ago. Even keeping
them under the deep overhang. Not meant for exterior. I still have a half
dozen mint that i just bring out when needed. I don't love them but they are
comfortable. (and from a secret dumpster)
I suppose my only point is durability. Not sure how the Solair is made but
after 8 years (!?) they still look good. Left out all year, even buried in snow.

Thanks Patrick & Alex..
That was a very interesting story on this chair!
I guess they where common in Africa then and less in the U.S. where monkeys are not allowed as pets.