1939 Harley-Davidson WLDD Flathead 45 Special

Engine: V-twin, two-cylinder, air-cooled
Displacement: 750 cc (45 ci)
Bore & Stroke: 69.85 x 96.84 mm. (2.75 x 3.8125 in.)
Power: 17.89 kW (24 hp)
Transmission: 3-forward, manual
Weight: 240 kg (529.1 lb)
Original Cost: Unknown  

Harley-Davidson made a total of 273 WLDDs in the middle of 1939. This model incorporated the high performance engine modifications of the “race only” WLDR Harley-Davidson while still remaining street legal. The popular civilian WL 45 series formed the basis of the development of the WLA (US Army), WLC (Canadian Army) and WLR (Soviet Army) of which 90,000 were produced.

Chronology:

1903 - William A. Davidson, Walter Davidson Sr., Arthur Davidson and William S. Harley founded Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
1904 - Prototype machine raced in Milwaukee.
1905 - Started producing a limited number of motorcyles.
1906 - Harley-Davidson built their first factory.
1907 - Production increased and introduced their V-Twin prototype.
1911 - Introduced their improved V-twin model.
1912 - Introduced their patented "Ful-Floteing" seat.
1917 - Started producing bikes for the military and also launched a line of motorcycles aimed at the domestic market.
1920 - Harley-Davidson becomes the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.
1921 - Otto Walker, riding a Harley, set the record for the first motorcycle to win a race at greater than 160 km/h (100 mph).
1929 - Harley introduced the Model D - a flat-head V-twin aimed to compete with Indian and Excelsior. Vivian Boles drove 5,000 miles acoss the United States and Canada on a Model D.
1929-1933 The Great Depression caused sales of motorcycles to plummet but Harley-Davidson still continued to produce motorcycles.
1934 - Harley-Davidson unveiled a new line-up of motorcycles.
1936 - Knucklehead engine models introduced.
1939-1945 - Harley produced a large number of motorcycles for military efforts during the Second World War.
1969 - After years of financial troubles, American Machine and Foundry (AMF) buys the Harley-Davidson Company. To make the company profitable, AMF streamlined production and slashed the workforce, causing sales and quality to decline.
1969 - Purchased by Stan Reynolds in Washington State, USA.
1981 - AMF sold Harley-Davidson and the new investors changed operations, adding new technologies and improving quality and slowly growing the brand repuation.
1990 - Harley introduces the Fat Boy motorcyle which became the industry leader in the heavyweight motorcycle market.
2003 - Harley-Davidson celebrates their 100th anniversary.
2019 - Motorcycle donated to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum.