1957 Harley Servi-Car Used To Deliver Milk

Delivering the Goods

Harley-Davidson Servi-Cars were used for all sorts of purposes over the years they were in production, including as parts haulers, police rigs, and even flower delivery vehicles. But this particular 1957 Harley Servi-Car that recently crossed the auction block at Tractor Zoom was actually used to deliver milk in its prime, and it has a pretty cool story to tell, too.

Photos: Tractor Zoom

Most Successful

As most are already aware, Harley tried to create a commercial vehicle on multiple occasions throughout its history, and the Servi-Car was undoubtedly the most successful. It originally launched back in 1932 and was designed to be used by car dealerships and service stations, and could be towed behind a customer's vehicle and then ridden back to the shop.

Photos: Tractor Zoom

Useful Box

Interestingly enough, however, folks soon discovered that the box on the back of the Servi-Car was good for all sorts of things. That box also had a payload capacity of 600 pounds, which made it useful for carrying just about anything one can think of, including milk, it seems.

Photos: Tractor Zoom

Incremental Improvements

Harley tweaked the Servi-Car a little here and there over the years, with few major improvements taking place. One, however, was the introduction of the W-Series powerplant that launched in 1937 and would stick around for the next 41 years. Otherwise, most improvements were limited to things like the frame, axle, and transmission, with incremental changes taking place every so many years.

Photos: Tractor Zoom

Collector's Choice

As for the Servi-Car's useful box, it was constructed from steel from 1942-1967, after which Harley switched to fiberglass for the model's last few years of production. As one might imagine, the steel box units are more popular among collectors, however.

Photos: Tractor Zoom

Interesting Story

As for this particular milk delivery Servi-Car, well, it was used to transport the beverage from Hahn's Dairy in Colorado and came along after the farm was taken over by the original owners' kids, Maurice and Mary Hahn. The two operated the dairy from the early 1950s through the mid-1980s, until Maurice passed away. But when the farm was operational, Maurice actually used this bike to deliver milk to some of his customers.

Photos: Tractor Zoom

Piece of History

Today, this Servi-Car remains in very original condition and it was even running as of a few years ago. It's unclear if the paint job is original, and some of the trim pieces are missing, but this classic ride is otherwise a pretty nice example of a cool piece of Harley history.

Photos: Tractor Zoom

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