1932 Harley-Davidson V

The Great Depression almost ended motorcycle manufacturing in the United States. In a country where 300 motorcycle companies once existed, there were only two manufacturers that remained in business by 1931: Harley-Davidson and Indian Motocycle. While Harley-Davidson had resolved the design and mechanical issues that plagued the Model V when it debuted in 1930, it was still not enough to compete with the brand-new Indian Chief, which outsold the Model V by more than 2:1.