Industry Analysis Automobile and Motorcycle Manufacturers

A select few companies throughout the history of American capitalism have become iconic figures that are synonymous with the products they sell, and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company has successfully accomplished this rare feat, engraining the moniker "Harley" in the global lexicon as the emblem of premium motorcycles. While today's generation may consider Harley-Davidson to be a monolith without legitimate competition from domestic motorcycle manufacturers, a careful study of the company's history demonstrates the wide array of difficulties which were encountered over more than a century of operation. Harley-Davidson emerged from the Great Depression as one of only two American motorcycle manufactures to maintain operations, despite experiencing significant struggles during this era of forced fiscal restraint. After weathering the first of several intra-industry storms and surviving the Great Depression, in under two decades Harley-Davidson had become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, producing more...
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