Overview: Go to any bookseller and you'll find a myriad of titles, great and small, devoted to Harley Davidson. Plenty of information and even factory-sourced documentation is available on Harley's many variants and the company's meteoric rise to fame as a world leader of big-bore motorcycles. What makes Archive Collection different? “Thanks to the vision of company founders William, Walter and Arthur Davidson, one of every model was kept from 1915 onwards.” says Vice President of Marketing Bill Davidson. Now approaching its 100-year anniversary, the museum's importance is clear. “This book is the first-ever look inside the Harley Davidson corporate Archives vehicle collection” .    

Chapters: Sixteen chapters follow Davidson's forward and the book's introduction. Not to be overlooked, this section gives background on the inner workings of the Archive compound. Not surprisingly, the book starts at the beginning; showing the earliest surviving example of the firm's first production machine of 1903, followed by other early singles and twins. Like the Archive itself, the book travels gracefully through the highlights of Harley's storied history, covering production eras, specific models and the period advertising that accompanied them. Straightforward and insightful, author Darwin Holmstrom's text mixes brilliantly with Randy Leffingwell's stunning lens work. 

Noteworthy: Three separate chapters on racing machines (early, intermediate and modern) are sandwiched between the usual coverage of Harley's lineage of big twins and military models. Also examined in great photographic detail are the small bore Aermacchi imports and the Eric Buell's work building Harley-powered sportbikes. The inclusion of several fascinating prototypes, especially the very robust 1100 OHC 'Experimental' from 1975 causes one to wonder how the company might be viewed today had it been put into production. Other interesting coverage includes Harley's bicycle line and AMF's use of the Harley badge on snowmobiles, golf carts and other nondescript objects.      

Now available in Flexibound, Harley Davidson Motor Co. Archive Collection truly is a noteworthy departure to the superficial cheerleading that is often associated when covering the brand. Detailing Harley Davidson's technological innovation and vision in a stunning volume any enthusiast would be proud to display, Archive Collection is the Harley book to buy if you only plan on buying one. Nolan Woodbury

The Harley Davidson Motor Co. Archive Collection
Author: Darwin Holmstrom    
Photos: Randy Leffingwell  
ISBN-13: 9780760340172  
Retail: $30.00 (US) $33.00 (Can) £  20 (UK)
408 pages
600 color and 50 black and while images
Published May 8, 2011
Publisher: Motorbooks (www.motorbooks.com)