(first posted 5/13/2017) Ralf K (Don Kincl) has uploaded more of his old snapshots from the beach in San Francisco, so let’s take a trip back in time. There’s at least one quite unusual car to be seen.
These old Harley flathead three-wheeler delivery rig were once quite common, and are responsible for the genesis of the whole three-wheeler category.
There it is; a triumph 2000 sport sedan. They never sold well, but they did exist. A kid in my high school drove a black one; nice interior.
Nice collection of photos indeed that shed light on another era. Those three wheel Harleys are neat, I assume pizza delivery was one of their many tasks.
As a kid in the 1970’s, I saw the local police use these sidevalve Harley Servi-Car machines for parking enforcement. They were old and outdated even then, but still efficient and appropriate for the task.
White Plains New York used Servi-Cars alongside the ubiquitous Cushman’s. Neighboring Scarsdale New York’s meter maids used Honda 600N sedans with the right side door replaced by a plastic panel with an opening for their chalk stick.
N600s were “Instant Orphans”; Honda didn’t require its’ motorcycle dealers who didn’t get a car franchise when they split off, or its’ car dealers who signed on after the Civic replaced them, to offer parts and service for the aircooled cars. I wonder how long Scarsdale’s lasted.
When I had my N600 in the mid 80’s I was able to order parts for it at my local small city Honda car dealer that didn’t exit until well after they stopped selling them. I don’t remember any particular problem at the parts counter when I ordered points & condesner, header gasket and filters. It only too a few days too.
They were used in San Francisco for that purpose, and chances are that one is ex-SFPD.
The SFPD and Oakland PD as well as many other departments used the Harley “Servicar” three wheelers extensively in parking enforcement and other duties.
The bike in the photo is very likely an ex-cop bike.
I also recall them being used for parking enforcement in some Eastern cities. Perhaps not past the 1960’s. I believe H-D sold them until 1973. Likely the last side valve motor vehicle sold in the US?
In 1969 I visited a very old-style shop that has just close its doors a few years ago. Over 100 years as a motorcycle shop. In 1969 they had about a dozen, new in crate military surplus Servi-Car’s for sale at $500 each. No one would loan a 17-year-old that kind of money.
That last photo also appears to contain a Mazda RX-3 wagon. 😀
Nice! In the rust belt most of those cars would have been gone by the 1980s, dissolved back into the earth.
Like the old Dudley Perkins tag frame. I used to get my bike serviced there when I was at the Presidio. You’d ride up a ramp to the 2nd floor service area above the showroom as I recall.
Looks like the Great Highway near where Playland on the Beach used to be.
The heaps of dirt in the fifth photo are from demolishing the remnants of Playland/starting on the condo development. It was cheaply built and started falling apart and rusting immediately in the onslaught of Pacific Ocean salty fog.
While even pre-galvanized cars lasted (and still last) far longer than in snow and salt country, living near the ocean can be tough on them in different ways. I lived two miles from the beach and my 1981 Mazda started rusting around the antenna base after only a couple years. Fortunately an oncoming Buick turned left in front of me when I was going through an intersection in Berkeley on a very green light and put that car out of its misery.
Looks like a Pontiac Phoenix third from right in the last pic.
I half expected my Healey, or one of my MGBs to show up in one of the pictures; I lived most of the 1970s there, finally leaving in December of 1980 (destination: New Orleans).
A cheap date/meal was to pick up a bottle of Lancer’s Rose’ and a pizza from some place on Ocean Blvd and drive out to watch the sunset from an MGB and get buzzed.
Such simpler times.
Lancer’s Rose’…….haven’t heard that in a million years or so!!
Can’t remember the last time I saw a convertible Karmann Ghia. Love it.
The old Harley-Davidson 3-wheeler was the “Servi-Car,” or sometimes colloquially called the “Servi-Cycle.” This 3-wheel motorcycle dates to the Great Depression, and many car dealerships had one and would attach it to a customer’s returned-vehicle rear bumper for the return ride to the dealership.
Panhead shot contains a Hillman Minx, Ive never heard of the Triumph 2000 being called a sport sedan, they sold quite well here many survive, but sporty thats new.
Sport sedan may not be a term often used for these, in English English anyway, but seems pretty apt. 6 cylinder, IRS, and a very different package to a 2 litre Ford or BMC, or a Ford or BMC that cost the same. In many ways, the (British) 3 series of the time, with Mitchelotti styling.
Nice TR2 as well, and a rubber bumper MGB
Although I’d say that the 2000 was the 5 series and the Vitesse (Sports Six), the 3 series equivalent, but your point is correct.
Having experience of these Triumphs and BMWs the similarities in driving feel are very apparent.
The 2000 pictured is a Mk1 – pretty rare, even in the UK these days.
A 2500 PI in good tune is an impressive car – quick, refined, nice soundtrack and good handling. My E39 530i always reminded me of the British car. It was a great tragedy that Triumph went under – in the ’60s they really did have a range that had the characteristics that BMW used later to great success.
the Neue Klasse BMW, which influenced all later models was even styled by Michelotti, who did these Triumphs…
One question, someone will know, those service cycles did they have the sidecar gearbox with reverse? One of the wildest rides Ive ever been on was backwards at speed drunk in a sidecar attached to a knuckle head, very different.
According to a Wikipedia linked source the Serv-Car had a constant mesh 3 speed trans with reverse from its second year in 1933 to 1973.
Interestingly, they used the same W type 750 engine from 1937 to 1973. The K type side valve engine had replaced the W on other 750 models in 1952.
That Ford pickup reminds me of the Hot Wheels ’56 Hi-Tail Hauler’ version released in 1977.
Nice! Mine was blue with yellow interior and bikes.
I still have my blue ’56 and it came with a little white camper shell too! At some point I performed surgery on it and cut off the little yellow bikes. And I gave it a new paint job- a different shade of blue. One of the few Hot Wheels that survived my youth.
Those ’56 F100s have always been popular, and the earlier ones only sllightly less so. This might be a bit more like the one in the pic. 🙂 It’s even yellow.
I lived near San Francisco in the time period pictured (Mountain View, actually), and it’s sobering to have that “recent past” referred to as “vintage”.
Oddly enough, having grown up in Pennsylvania where cars rusted badly before the 1st owners paid off their loans and then moving around the East Coast before being transferred to California, I was always surprised when I saw a 20 year old Ford or Chevy when driving around the Bay Area. Older Chevys always seemed more prevalent. I don’t know why, but I rarely noticed foreign sedans. Roadsters? Yes. Japanese sedans? Not at all. And of course, the most noticed cars were those by a certain German manufacturer.
Oil spills everywhere and motorcyclists without helmets…
Having a friend who’s been knocked off his bike several times, I noticed that too.
CC effect here, same the same Chevette this morning and yesterday morning, didn’t think any if them survived here in “rainy” Western Washington state
Was hoping maybe, to see a shot of my car coming down Lombard Street in August of ’82. Coast to coast,and back again – 7000 miles, with my best friend from high-school, in a ’71 Audi Super-90 wagon. Now THAT was a road-trip!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Those pictures are from the 80’s? The guy next to the F100 is not in 80’s clothing seen in The City. I don’t see anything in the way of foreign cars and they were big by the 80’s. Hondas and BMWs were everywhere.
My parents having moved to the Bay Area in 1972, me for grad school in 1977, then me to live in the City from 1985-1998 that is not what I saw in the 80’s. I lived only 20 blocks from the location of Ocean Beach. What I see in the background is the torn down remains of Playland, between Balboa and Cabrillo, which was demolished in 1972.
I see the Karmann Ghia with a red tag which was used in 1971 and 1976. Behind the Karmann Ghia should be a Safeway, at Fulton, but it wasn’t there until the 80s.Then there are the long sideburns and Fu Manchu moustache on the biker. I had the exact same look… in 1973-76.
Realistically, they’re from the late 70s. The owner of the photos titled them as from “the 80s”. I think not.
Paul, These are from the spring of 1980, as I only lived in San Francisco while going to college for 1 year from september of 1979 until may of 1980
My bad; I see you titled them “1980”. I’ve amended the title.
My friend is Chief of Police in a Midwestern town, and motorcycle collector. He scored this former SFPD Servi-Car, and rides it in local parades.
I liked that shot of the Sportster. I think its a ’76 because of the cable rear brake and what looks like the Bi Centennial “applique” that is still visible on the front fender. Sportsters were still a desirable bike in those days. That mid Fifties Ford pick up is super nice. It’s no wonder that those things are considered classics. However old trucks like that, up into the late 70s were a real penalty box in comparison to Today’s Deluxe haulers.
Total eye candy! Wonderful!!!
I am currently restoring a 1961 Servi-Car that my dad acquired back in ‘72. It’s a police model that was part of the traffic and meter department. I have learned that the Departments back then would have their own paint schemes and lettering similar to the way they do today. I am hoping that someone may be able to point me in the direction of some information.
What’s the wagon under the surfboard in the first pic?
1955 or 56 Chevy; you can tell by the vent window and door handle shapes, plus the dashboard.
Really enjoyed this trip back in time. Had to chuckle at “Blue Porsche during the Earthquake!” 🙂
Since this out west, I’m sure the guys on the motorcycles became successful stock brokers or venture capitalist!!!
Only in California!!