1971 Harley-Davidson Servi-Car Really Delivers
Harley stopped building the Servi-Car 45 years ago, but they’re every bit as cool today as they were back then!
In the early days of motorcycles, reliability wasn’t exactly a foregone conclusion. Bikes were fun little toys, of course, but you certainly couldn’t ride them any significant distance with the confidence that you would make it there. Or back home. But by the early 1900s, that was beginning to change. And motorcycle manufacturers knew that to continue to grow their business, they needed to target the commercial market in addition to the recreational one. Hence, the Harley-Davidson Servi-Car was born.
Harley’s first commercial contract was signed all the way back in 1908, as the Detroit Police Department realized the benefits of two-wheeled patrol vehicles. But bikes still lacked the storage space of their automotive counterparts, so Harley engineers got to work designing a solution. Their first effort, the “motorcycle truck” used a two-wheel front end with a cargo container positioned in between them. Two years later, Harley introduced the “package truck,” which used a more sensible sidecar-mounted container.
But by far, Harley’s most successful commercial bike was the Servi-Car. The do-it-all three-wheeler debuted in 1932 and lasted all the way until 1973. In the process, it enjoyed the longest production life of any Harley motorcycle. The Servi-Car was so easy to operate that anyone who could drive a car could also drive one. It proved to be a massive hit with service stations, police departments, and delivery companies across the U.S.
This 1971 Harley-Davidson Servi-Car, set to cross the block at the Spring Carlisle auction April 19-21, is a fine example of the breed. It’s an older restoration, but it still looks to be in fantastic shape. For lovers of vintage Harleys, they just don’t get much better than this. And if you’re a small business owner who transports cargo, it sure beats some boring white van!
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