Harley-Davidson tells us that evidence shows that the very first Harley-Davidson dealer was open for business as early as 1904, just one year after the company began producing motorcycles. C.H. Lang of Chicago, Ill., had newspaper ads in print in 1904 boasting about the new Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It is believed that Lang sold each of the first three motorcycles built by Harley-Davidson. Here are some other interesting pieces of information:
The Motor Company’s first efforts for dealer recruitment began as early as 1907 and targeted the New England region. Arthur Davidson even personally toured the country on a belt drive motorcycle to sign dealers.
This photo of the A.G. Mueller shop in Milwaukee was taken about 1910 and is one of the Archives’ earliest images of a dealership. (Photo Courtesy of Harley-Davidson Archives)
The very first country to have Harley-Davidson motorcycles exported to it was Japan in 1912.
As early as 1921, official Harley-Davidson dealerships were found in 67 countries around the world, an impressive figure considering the relative youth of the company. In fact, the company’s ads boasted that Harley-Davidson motorcycles were sold in every civilized country in the world.
The very first dealer shows (formerly called dealer meetings) were taking place annually as early as 1924.
Possibly most important of all is the role the dealer network played through the Great Depression and World War II era. The Great Depression decimated the motorcycle industry and ruined many struggling companies. In the year 1933, only 6,000 motorcycles were sold in the United States and more than one-half were Harley-Davidson models. This could only have happened through the company’s strong network of dealers, just as the good faith shown by dealers during the extremely lean war years kept Harley-Davidson in business.
The Motor Company’s first efforts for dealer recruitment began as early as 1907 and targeted the New England region. Arthur Davidson even personally toured the country on a belt drive motorcycle to sign dealers.
The Motor Company’s first efforts for dealer recruitment began as early as 1907 and targeted the New England region. Arthur Davidson even personally toured the country on a belt drive motorcycle to sign dealers.
The very first country to have Harley-Davidson motorcycles exported to it was Japan in 1912.
As early as 1921, official Harley-Davidson dealerships were found in 67 countries around the world, an impressive figure considering the relative youth of the company. In fact, the company’s ads boasted that Harley-Davidson motorcycles were sold in every civilized country in the world.
The very first dealer shows (formerly called dealer meetings) were taking place annually as early as 1924.
Possibly most important of all is the role the dealer network played through the Great Depression and World War II era. The Great Depression decimated the motorcycle industry and ruined many struggling companies. In the year 1933, only 6,000 motorcycles were sold in the United States and more than one-half were Harley-Davidson models. This could only have happened through the company’s strong network of dealers, just as the good faith shown by dealers during the extremely lean war years kept Harley-Davidson in business.
Story by Bill Jackson, Senior Archivist
