Once upon a time in Germany
Harley-Davidson is celebrating its anniversary in Germany
• Harley-Davidson started in Germany around 90 years ago
• 40 years ago the US company founded a German subsidiary
• Harley-Davidson Germany GmbH was founded 35 years ago
(Neu-Isenburg, May 18, 2016) It is well known that celebrations should be celebrated as they come - and at a certain American motorcycle company they are only too happy to adhere to this rule. Since Harley-Davidson Germany was registered as a GmbH in the commercial register on May 12, 1981, the 35th anniversary with a party on May 12, 2016 at the German headquarters in Neu-Isenburg. The German and Austrian dealers as well as friends of the house were invited, and beer, meat, smoke, petrol and music were on offer - in short: a real Harley party.
Rob Lindley , Head of Europe and Vice President of the Motor Company, did not miss the opportunity to personally stop by the “German Headquarters” and congratulate the German and Austrian dealers who are putting their heart and soul into this, while Christian Arnezeder , Managing Director Regional Operations Germany, Austria and Switzerland, pointed out in his speech that the US brand has a lot more tradition to show than 35 years: For example, the dealers from Ludwigshafen, Schaafheim and Bremen are celebrating their 40th and 41st this year -year anniversary as an authorized dealer.
But the German Harley story is even longer. It began in the middle of the Roaring Twenties, an era of economic boom and a heyday of art, culture and science. Women wear bobbed hair and revolutionary short skirt hems and dance to the Charleston, men like knickerbockers and flat caps – and motorcycles. The latter does not go unnoticed by Messrs. Harley and Davidson, whose company is currently growing into its third decade, and so the first general agents are licensed in Good Ol' Germany. Word quickly spreads in this country about the performance, robustness and reliability of US bikes and various racing successes also contribute to the fame of the machines from Milwaukee . The Second World War initially put an end to imports, and after 1945 German inventors had to convert US military machines for civilian use before the Suck company in Hamburg was allowed to take off as the new “general importer” in 1956.
In the 1970s, Eysel Motorsport in Langenselbold took over the baton from Suck and in 1976 the Motor Company - now part of the powerful AMF group - founded a factory branch in Germany, which five years later became a GmbH. After various moves, Harley-Davidson Germany at home in Neu-Isenburg since 2013. The modest beginnings around 90 years ago have become a flourishing company that operates successfully in the market with 63 German, 9 Austrian and 18 Swiss authorized dealers. 9,857 Harleys were newly registered in Germany in 2015 and a total of around 181,000 Harleys are rolling on German roads.
The GmbH is looking forward to its next 35 years...
Text & image credit: Harley-Davidson Germany GmbH
