120 Years of Harley-Davidson Exhibition at the Central Garage in Bad Homburg

WOW! This is a successful Harley-Davidson exhibition!

A few real enthusiasts have come together here. You need that „little bit of craziness“ to turn an idea into a successful gallery. Oh yes, of course, you need the right exhibits to be able to somehow represent the fabulous 120 years of Harley-Davidson. Well, and when, as in this case, the right people actually come together, the exhibition is born.

Five enthusiasts with plenty of gasoline in their blood

We are talking about Thomas Trapp and Matthias Meier from the Harley Factory Frankfurt, who have set themselves the task of bringing together the historic Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Dieter, Philipp and Moritz Dressel, are the initiators of the Central Garage in Bad Homburg.

So we are in Bad Homburg, another town with a long tradition. The former princely spa has eight healing springs, a landgrave's castle and historic half-timbered houses characterize the townscape of Bad Homburg. Not that the clock has stood still in Bad Homburg, but you might well get that impression when you drive onto the forecourt of the Central Garage and are amazed to find the historic Gasolin filling station.

The Central Garage is generally the purest cultural asset

The garage belonging to the museum, where you can still see the pump for the 1:25 and 1:50 oil/petrol mixture that used to be used for the two-stroke engine, is truly iconic. You can literally smell the gasoline as you slowly travel back in time and see yourself back in the old days at such a historic filling station.

Pure enthusiasm overcomes you

You may notice my enthusiasm, I still haven't gotten to the topic. It's actually about the 120 years of Harley-Davidson exhibition, to the premiere of which I was invited to Bad Homburg together with some colleagues from the media industry.

Kolja Rebstock Regional Vice President EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Managing Director of the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and Sebastian Osiecki Marketing Lead DACH at Harley-Davidson were represented by the company.

In his speech at the opening of the museum, he Kolja Rebstock the 120-year history of Harley-Davidson. When Rebstock was introduced by the then Polish actress Anna Held who was one of the most famous actresses on Broadway from 1896 to 1910, his performance brought up many details that amazed even the experts on the scene.

Anna Held rode a De-Dion-Bouton motorized tricycle through the streets of Milwaukee, which did not go unnoticed by William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson and triggered a further surge of ideas, which led to facts being created in 1903 and the beginning of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle era.

Harley-Davidson has had many prominent companions over the last 120 years, from Elvis Presley and Evel Knievel to Peter Maffay, who has been associated with the Harley scene for many years. All of them, and more, are mentioned in the Central Garage in detail. Visitors are taken on a journey through Harley-Davidson's history. There are signs for each year with important information so that visitors can understand the timeline from then to the present day without having to know the exact historical background.

Over 60 models are in the exhibition

There are over 60 Harley-Davidson, Buell and custom bikes, a great mix of special motorcycles. A special highlight is the section from the Motorcycle Cannonball Run from Daytona Beach/Florida to Tacoma/Washington State in the USA, in which Thomas Trapp took part.

Admission is free!

Many people will be surprised to learn that admission to the museum is free. Anyone who wants to can leave a donation at the museum and the proceeds will be used for a good cause in Bad Homburg. More than 60 exhibits are on display on an area of around 700 square meters and will be exchanged throughout the year. The exhibition is already open and will run until the end of November 2023

Web link to Central Garage Bad Homburg

Route to Central Garage in Bad Homburg

Central Garage, Niederstedter Weg 5 in 61348 Bad Homburg