Photo: Mecum
Far less visible than their two-wheeler counterparts, trikes are still a thing in Harley-Davidson’s portfolio. Presently, there are three such models offered, the Freewheeler, Tri Glide Ultra and CVO Tri Glide, with prices going as high as $48,999. And they all can trace their roots back to the pre-war Servi-Car.
Born in the early 1930s, the Servi-Car was initially made as a utility motorcycle, one that could be used by businesses to move stuff around in a machine nimbler than trucks or vans. Born out of the bike maker’s need to survive that era’s economic depression, the line proved successful enough to be kept into production until the early 1970s.
That means there are enough of them out there still to kind of make them less special. But if one looks hard enough, one might come across something worthwhile.
A quick look at the Servi-Car we have here reveals nothing spectacular. This is a 1947 model year with a steel body wrapped in blue, riding on whitewall tires hidden under matching fenders, chrome on the gauge clusters, nacelle, or tank badge, and the telltale box at the rear. Pop open its lid, and that’s where the magic starts.
The interior of the storage container lid has writing on it that reads “Ride Free! Willie G. 95th” in white. We’re told they are scribblings put there by Willie G. Davidson, although we are not provided with any additional info.
As one of the about 2,200 Servi-Cars made in 1947, it might have probably been hard for this particular three-wheeler to stand out in a crowd. But given how there's probably not many of them wearing the Willie G. autograph in there, it made the current owner confident enough to put it up for sale.
The Servi-Car is going under the hammer during the Mecum auction in Las Vegas next week.
That means there are enough of them out there still to kind of make them less special. But if one looks hard enough, one might come across something worthwhile.
A quick look at the Servi-Car we have here reveals nothing spectacular. This is a 1947 model year with a steel body wrapped in blue, riding on whitewall tires hidden under matching fenders, chrome on the gauge clusters, nacelle, or tank badge, and the telltale box at the rear. Pop open its lid, and that’s where the magic starts.
The interior of the storage container lid has writing on it that reads “Ride Free! Willie G. 95th” in white. We’re told they are scribblings put there by Willie G. Davidson, although we are not provided with any additional info.
As one of the about 2,200 Servi-Cars made in 1947, it might have probably been hard for this particular three-wheeler to stand out in a crowd. But given how there's probably not many of them wearing the Willie G. autograph in there, it made the current owner confident enough to put it up for sale.
The Servi-Car is going under the hammer during the Mecum auction in Las Vegas next week.
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