1942 Harley Davidson. VIN#42WLA68689. This motorcycle was owned by the late George Baker from Liberty Kentucky. It had been stored for years and was sold by the estate. It appears to be all original but we have not made any attempts to verify its originality or whether or not it will run or not . The WLA stands for (W) series, (L) High Compression) and (A) Army. This is believed to be an Army war era motorcycle that was probably painted red at some point. A rare find! Many soldiers came home wanting to buy a Harley Davidson similar to the one they rode during the war.
The motorcycle is available for inspection at the Pearce Auction Center in Alabaster, Alabama. It comes with an Alabama Bill of Sale AND we have a title in the previous, deceased owners name from the State of Maryland.
“Wikipediaâ€
The model number breaks down as follows:
W : the W family of motorcycles. Harley-Davidson (except in very early models) gives a letter designation for each model family. The W series at the time was the newest incarnation of the 45-cubic-inch (740 cm3) flathead motor, and was developed from the earlier R family 1932–1936.
L : "high compression", in the usual HD scheme. The "low compression" W model was only briefly available.
A : Army. The company would also produce a model to the slightly different specifications of the Canadian Army, which would be named the WLC. The WLCs differed from WLAs chiefly in the use of some heavier components, usually Big Twin parts, as well as Canadian blackout lighting.
History[edit]
Harley-Davidson began producing the WLA in small numbers in 1940, as part of a general military expansion. The later entry of the United States into World War II saw significantly increased production, with over 90,000 being produced during the war (along with spare parts the equivalent of many more). Harley-Davidson would also produce a close WLA variant for the Canadian Army called the WLC and would also supply smaller numbers to the UK, South Africa, and other allies, as well as filling orders for different models from the Navy and Marine Corps.
Unusually, all the WLAs produced after Pearl Harbor, regardless of the actual year, would be given serial numbers indicating 1942 production. Thus, war-time machines would come to be known as 42WLAs. This may have been in recognition of the continued use of the same specification. Most WLCs were produced in 1943, and are marked 43WLC. The precise serial number, as well as casting marks, can be used to date a specific motor accurately, and some other parts bear year and month stamps. Frames and many other parts were not tagged with the serial number, and cannot generally be dated. This is common prior to adoption of the vehicle identification number (VIN).
Many WLAs would be shipped to allies under the Lend-Lease program. The largest recipient was the Soviet Union, which was sold over 30,000 WLAs.
Production of the WLA would cease after the war, but would be revived for the Korean War during the years 1949–1952.
Most WLAs in western hands after the war would be sold as surplus and "civilianized"; the many motorcycles available at very low cost would lead to the rise of the chopper and other modified motorcycle styles, as well as the surrounding biker culture. Many a young soldier would come home hoping to get a Harley-Davidson like he saw or rode in the service, leading to the post-war popularity of both the motorcycle and the company in general.
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