You and Me and Willie G.
Celebrating the 90th birthday of a design icon
A guest article by Rudi Herzig.
As the press uncle of Harley-Davidson Germany, I had the honor and pleasure of meeting him a few times: in 2003, for example, in Hamburg. Of course, he was there at Harley-Davidson's 100th anniversary party and I experienced the Willie G. phenomenon for the first time, an absolutely approachable and always good-humored guy who had a lot of exciting stories to tell, was just as open and interested in answering questions from hundreds of visitors as he was from the assembled journalists and signed one autograph after another - on caps, shirts, jackets, tanks and, if necessary, on bare skin.
Four years later, the international H-D PR teams at the Product Development Center in Wauwatosa were given a preview of the most important new products for the coming model year: Softail Rocker and Dyna Fat Bob. We - about 20 PR guys and gals - were sitting in a meeting room when a door on the upper floor opened and Willie G. trotted down to us. With a big grin on his face, he explained the look of the new products and his design credo, while we hung on his every word in awe.
„Form,“ lectured the Harley-Davidson head of styling, „may follow function, but both serve emotion.“ The company, which was co-founded by his grandfather William A., could - he was certain - build a motorcycle whose performance was beyond reproach. But if there was something wrong with the magic of its proportions and style, the market would not accept it.
It was clear as day to all of us: the man knows what he's talking about. After all, Willie G. had already been responsible for the unmistakable and often copied look of the Milwaukee Irons for 44 years at that time. Born into a family of die-hard motorcyclists, he joined the company in 1963 at the age of 29.
He had studied art in Milwaukee and design in Pasadena and was infected by the culture of customizing on the West Coast. In 1969, he was promoted to Vice President of Styling at the company that bears his name. He quickly convinced the management of his idea of factory custom bikes - machines that already look individual as standard.
His early works include the '71 Super Glide, a successful synthesis of Sportster front end and Big Twin engine and frame. He is also responsible for the design of numerous other style icons such as the Wide Glide, Sturgis, Cafe Racer, Fat Boy and V-Rod.
As a biker himself, he always kept his ear close to the market and in 1981 was one of the 13 managers who bought back „their“ company from AMF - with unshakeable faith in the brand and maximum risk, as they all had their personal fortunes at stake. But Willie G. also proved to have a good nose: From then on, Harley-Davidson was on a meteoric rise.
Only with the type abbreviations - such as FXCW for the 2008 model year rockers - was even he at a loss. Willie G. revealed this to us with a broad smile in that meeting room in 2007. You just shouldn't take it that seriously ...
I met him again at the Harley stand at Intermot 2008. And between snacks, hostesses and highlights, he also wrote me a „Ride free, Willie G.“ autograph in his book „100 Years of Harley-Davidson“, which has adorned my shelf ever since.
Willie G. took his well-earned retirement on May 1, 2012, but his creativity is still as strong as ever. As fine art and watercolor painting have been among his passions for decades, he has now produced a considerable number of paintings, which he presents at exhibitions.
Unbelievable, but true: on June 20, 2023, this tireless visionary will turn 90 years old. Congratulations, Willie G., and chapeau for a life dedicated to powerful motorcycles and their iconic design for almost five decades.
Text: Rudi Herzig Picture credits. Harley-Davidson
Comments are closed.