Harley Davidson and Indian War Advertising

Military Motorcycles, and Other Military Two and Three Wheeled Cycles, Wanted, For Sale (NO AUCTION or EBAY) and Knowledge Base
OLDABEWLA
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Re: Harley Davidson and Indian War Advertising

Post by OLDABEWLA » Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:57 pm

A.M.A. During early WWII was also in the business of helping to recruit new riders into the motorcycle corps. I believe the magazine dropped off during the war and started back up again after the war because lack of members serving in the War.

These counter top ads showed up in the centerfold of the A.M.A. magazines early war and was also shipped out to Harley Dealers during WWII note this center fold has lack of staple holes in center and no dated at top. I like this ad because your new bike you wanted is fighting a war!


Craig
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ama rider 1.jpg
ama rider 1.jpg (82.88 KiB) Viewed 622 times
counter top 1.jpg
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☆42WLA Harley-Davidson #19,246 Type III


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matt506
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Re: Harley Davidson and Indian War Advertising

Post by matt506 » Tue Feb 12, 2019 9:49 am

Craig,
Looks awesome keep em comming. Love your paper collectables.
SFC Matt Miller,
4-42 GPW,
M-6 81mm hand cart,
4-43 MBT,
4-43 WLA,
1961 M151,
M18 paracaisson,
"Find The Bastards and Pile On" 11th ACR

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matt506
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Re: Harley Davidson and Indian War Advertising

Post by matt506 » Tue Feb 12, 2019 9:53 am

For all them Indian fans. Thinks this was early to mid war. Indian from what I have collected never really show cased it's military bike,( this is the only one i have), but related more towards their civilian stock. The major majority of the Indian stock went to the Netherlands and France before the war kicked off.
How far do you think you would get by saying you "shot this Indian". Times have changed.
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2019-02-10 22.02.02.jpg
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SFC Matt Miller,
4-42 GPW,
M-6 81mm hand cart,
4-43 MBT,
4-43 WLA,
1961 M151,
M18 paracaisson,
"Find The Bastards and Pile On" 11th ACR

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matt506
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Re: Harley Davidson and Indian War Advertising

Post by matt506 » Tue Feb 12, 2019 11:30 am

September of 1944 ad.
2nd award flag and lots of testimony of how these bikes hold up. One thing to note on these line drawing pictures, is that the WLA type will not always run with the date. You will see type 1s and even 41, 40 bikes as the artists just took what "cool" pictures they could find and add a neat background. As is this case, a WLA with bare cases and heads, bicycle pedal kicker, high horn, missing lower headlight. Type 2 in June of 42?
Small pics are your run of the mill pre war civilian models on a WL but your larger drawing is from the June of 1942 " Enthusiast" magazine, pg 6 picture.
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2019-02-10 22.03.56.jpg
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2019-02-12 14.28.50.jpg
2019-02-12 14.28.50.jpg (100.7 KiB) Viewed 610 times
SFC Matt Miller,
4-42 GPW,
M-6 81mm hand cart,
4-43 MBT,
4-43 WLA,
1961 M151,
M18 paracaisson,
"Find The Bastards and Pile On" 11th ACR

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Re: Harley Davidson and Indian War Advertising

Post by OLDABEWLA » Tue Feb 12, 2019 5:34 pm

Cool stuff Matt!,

Most likely the very first WWII Harley Military motorcycle ad put out from Jan 1941 (Pre War ) a Counter top ad. Harley is basically saying in this pre war ad is to prepare for war both the dealers and customers. The bikes look like 41WLA's
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☆42WLA Harley-Davidson #19,246 Type III

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Re: Harley Davidson and Indian War Advertising

Post by OLDABEWLA » Tue Feb 12, 2019 5:47 pm

Another counter top ad with the two stars and Army Navy Award flag 3rd Award from 1945? Nice recruiter Harley ad as looking for MP GI riders coming home and wanting a motorcycle cop job. Sign me up!
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mp wla.jpg
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☆42WLA Harley-Davidson #19,246 Type III

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Re: Harley Davidson and Indian War Advertising

Post by Lib45 » Sun Mar 03, 2019 11:59 am

'The major majority of Indian stock went to the Netherlands and France before the war'..

The Netherlands didn't recieve that much Indians, as it was an "exotic" make (thus $$) and we didn't have an official importer unlike H-D did.
The dutch have always been more fond of Milwaukee's machines so it seems, then and now.
The CAV's (340/341) models went to France; we dutch got none..
Although the crach was in 1929, it wasn't until 1932-33 before it seeped thru in Europe.
There simply wasn't any money to buy new bikes.
We had our own makes like Sparta and Eysink, both light two-strokes and sortlike german makes like DKW etc.
'Heavy' fourstroke pre-war makes were belgian ( FN, Gillet), german BMWs and english makes.
American bikes were expensive and scarse.


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