Harley-Davidson Servi-Car

The Servi-Car was designed during the Great Depression when Harley-Davidson was desperate to expand its product base to increase sales. Targeted at the automotive service industry, the vehicle was designed for assisting at roadside breakdowns and delivering cars to customers. For this reason, it was available with a tow bar at the front and a large 60 Ah battery. (The tow bar was used to tow the Servicar from the rear of a car, not vice-versa). It allowed one person to transfer a car from one location to another and drive themselves back; after driving the car to its destination, the delivery driver would unhitch the Servi-Car and ride it back to the garage. In addition to its intended use for car delivery and retrieval, the Servi-Car was also popular as a utility vehicle for small businesses and mobile vendors. It proved to be particularly popular with police departments, some of which still used Servi-Cars into the 1990s. ==Models==

in Milwaukee The models offered in 1932, the first year of production, were: • G - with small box and tow bar • GA - with small box and no tow bar • GD - with large box and no tow bar • GE - with large box and air tank In 1933, the GDT, with large box and tow bar, was added to the line. In 1942, the small and large boxes were replaced with a standardized intermediate-sized box that was manufactured for Harley-Davidson by the Chas. Abresch Co. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A gold, red, and black water transfer decal from this company was affixed to the top inside of the box lid. This box continued to be installed until 1966, after which it was replaced by a fiberglass box; all preceding boxes were made from steel. ==Engine==

The Servi-Car used variations of Harley-Davidson's 45 cubic inch flathead. From 1932 to 36, the Servi-Car used the engine from the solo R model. The "W" flathead engine continued until the end of production in 1973, despite the "W" solo series being replaced by the "K" series in 1952. An electric starter became available on the Servi-Car in 1964, making it the first civilian Harley with an electric starter, one year before the debut of the Electra Glide. ==Transmission==

When the Servi-Car was introduced in 1932, it used the same transmission as the R solo model. ==Chassis and suspension==

The Servi-Car was designed in the early part of the Great Depression for the conditions of its day, in which roads might be crude and unpaved. It has a rigid rear axle with a differential. The rear axle has a track of . Until 1957, the front forks of the Servi-Car were the springer-type leading-link forks used on the R-series and W-series solo motorcycles. From 1958 on, the Servi-Car's neck stem length and inner diameter were changed to fit Hydra-Glide front forks. ==Brakes==

Early production Servi-Cars have a drum brake on the front wheel and another drum brake inside the rear axle housing, decelerating both rear wheels. A hydraulic rear brake system was introduced in 1951. The very last Servi-Cars, built late in their last model year, have disc brakes on all three wheels. ==See also==