Hog Heaven: The Story Of Harley-Davidson Empire

Author: Dr. Mandar V. Bichu

Over the decades, Harley-Davidson motor-bike has gone on to become an ultimate dream machine, an iconic symbol of machismo, an enviable object of desire. Along with Coke, Levis and McDonalds, Harley-Davidson has become America’s most famous brand the world over. This documentary traces the stirring, whirring saga of this century-old mo-bike phenomenon.

In 1901, William Harley and three Davidson brothers (Arthur, William and Walter) decided to cash on the then public craze for bicycles and pooled in their efforts and money to make the first-ever Harley-Davidson motor bike in a wooden Detroit shack. Obviously this first H-D bike was still far from the perfect freewheeling vehicle that we have come to associate it with. The documentary shows how H-D went on improving the interior and exterior of their machines to make them rugged, powerful and fast all-terrain vehicles. H-D first made its impact in army operations in World War I and II. In fact, many of the triumphant American soldiers returning to the post-war peaceful scenario wanted to take their piece of action along with them and thus, thousands of Harley-Davidsons started roaming on American streets.

The documentary interviews the top H-D executives who tell us the inside story of bike-brand wars and H-D’s remarkable turnaround in the 80s following a near-bankruptcy call! Showing the gradual evolution of H-D’s different eye-catching designs over the decades, the documentary also gets celebrities like Peter Fonda, Bert Reynolds and Jay Leno to talk about their and the rest of the world’s continuing and growing fascination for this motor bike! It is an extremely informative and interesting documentary about a motor bike that has become a global symbol of speed, power and freedom!

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