Craigslist Find: 1968 Police Servi-Car
Harley’s original three-wheeled workhorse carried the company through bad times and good.
Harley’s new CVO Tri Glide may be the talk of the town these days, but Harley-Davidson trikes are nothing new. In fact, the classic Harley-Davidson Servi-Car may be one of the company’s longest-running production models.
The Servi-Car was produced more or less the same way from 1932 all the way to 1973. Designed in a fit of desperation during the Great Depression, the Servi-Car was intended to increase Harley-Davidson’s market share by finding new customers in a time when few were buying motorcycles.
Harley’s gambit paid off, and the Servi-Car was embraced by everyone from police departments to deliverymen. Many Harley-Davidson dealerships employed Servi-Cars to administer roadside assistance for their customers.
It’s easy to measure the success of the Servi-Car by observing its long production run. Loss leaders don’t typically hang around for four decades. Incredibly, the Servi-Car continued using the venerable Flathead engine, long after the rest of the line had switched over to the Knucklehead, the Panhead, and finally the Shovelhead.
Servi-Cars came equipped with a three-speed transmission with a reverse gear. In 1964, it became the first regular production Harley-Davidson to have electric start, one model year before the Electra Glide. All Servi-Cars had drum brakes, except for the final model year, 1973, when disc brakes were fitted.
The example seen here was found on Craigslist in Sandusky, Ohio. It’s a 1968 model that was originally equipped for police use from the factory. While it now wears civilian clothes, the seller notes that the original siren works.
It’s described in the ad as a “ten-footer,” with cosmetic attention needed. It’s up to the new owner if they want to repaint it to resemble a police bike, retain the maroon and gold color scheme, or go with something different. The seller advises that while it runs well, the carburetor could use some work.
If you wanted to add this bike to your collection, it could be yours for $11,250. That’s a reasonable price for a complete, mechanically solid Servi-Car in need of a light cosmetic restoration. If you’ve got money left over after buying your CVO Tri Glide and you have some extra space in the garage, this would be the perfect companion piece.
Photos: Craigslist
You must be logged in to post a comment.