Issue date: 17 Jul, 2014
VINTAGE VEHICLES
A souvenir sheet with three stamps showing various models and details of Harley-Davidson motorcycles makes up this issue dedicated to Vintage vehicles.
There is one name in the history of motorcycles that is known worldwide, Harley-Davidson, certainly the most iconic make of bikes there has ever been, still sold today. The legend began in the state of Wisconsin in the USA when William Harley and the Davidson brothers, Walter, William and Arthur, all with professional experience in mechanics, tooling, design and model-making, decided to join forces and share their knowledge to build a motorcycle. The project came to fruition in 1903 following several years of work, when the first motorcycle, a 400cc single-cylinder, 3 hp, was finished. With it, the myth of the famous bike was born, linked to a way of life that has evolved over the more than a hundred years of its manufacture. The first Harley-Davidsons were called ‘Silent Grey Fellows’, in reference to their grey paintwork and silent running.
Harley-Davidson continued to improve their motorcycles and a few years later launched the twin-cylinder V-twin version, which has a distinctive sound and is the base for almost all models made up to the present. Over time, new series have appeared with features such as the cast-iron fittings, cushioned saddles, chrome, the long, high handlebars and the decorative decals and paintings on the fuel tanks. Harley-Davidsons have always been known for their strength and robustness. In the First World War, the company sold a large part of its production to the United States army and incidentally, it is said that the first American soldier to enter Germany after signing the peace treaty did so on a Harley-Davidson.
In the 1950s, after the founders had died, the company entered a stage with a new generation of managers heading it and Harley-Davidson continued to produce new models of motorcycles to rule the road. The main importing countries are Canada, Germany, Japan and Australia.
Rate A - €0.75. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, up to 20 g.
Rate A2 - €0.85. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, between 20 g and 50 g.
Rate B - €1.65. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to Europe (including Greenland), up to 20 g.
Rate C - €1.75. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the rest of the world (except USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand), up to 20 g.
Rate D - €2.10. For a “standard” Ordinary International letter or postcard addressed to the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, up to 20 g.