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The 1983 Motorcycle Tariff War
How a 45 Percent Duty Rescued Harley-Davidson and Reshaped the Industry

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About this book:

The 1983 Motorcycle Tariff War Harley‑Davidson was on the verge of extinction in the early 1980s—buried in debt, plagued by quality woes, and crushed by a flood of superior Japanese bikes. Then, in a shocking twist of trade policy, President Reagan slapped a 45 percent tariff on imported motorcycles, giving the beleaguered American icon a lifeline no one expected.

*The 1983 Motorcycle Tariff War* reveals how that daring intervention sparked a breathtaking turnaround: Harley’s leaders embraced Japanese‑style Just‑in‑Time manufacturing, birthed the revolutionary Evolution engine, and forged the fiercely loyal Harley Owners Group—all while navigating intense lobbying, courtroom battles, and a global trade showdown. Four years later, the company did the unthinkable—asking for the tariff to be lifted early because it could finally compete on its own terms.

From boardroom desperation to roaring assembly lines, from Washington’s Oval Office to Tokyo’s ministries, this immersive chronicle offers business leaders, policymakers, historians, and motorcycle enthusiasts a gripping lesson in corporate survival, industrial policy, and the enduring power of American ingenuity. Discover how a single 45 percent duty saved a legend and reshaped the worldwide motorcycle industry forever.

Table of Contents:
  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1 The Milwaukee Legend on the Brink
  • Chapter 2 The Japanese Invasion: Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki
  • Chapter 3 The AMF Era and the Cost of Quality Decline
  • Chapter 4 The 1981 Buyout: Thirteen Men and a Mountain of Debt
  • Chapter 5 Glut in the Showrooms: The Inventory Crisis of 1982
  • Chapter 6 Section 201: The Legal Armor of U.S. Trade Policy
  • Chapter 7 Formulating the Petition: Harley Takes Its Case to Washington
  • Chapter 8 The International Trade Commission Hearings
  • Chapter 9 Tokyo's Defense: Free Trade, Fair Competition, and Market Shifts
  • Chapter 10 The ITC Verdict: A Finding of Threat and Injury
  • Chapter 11 The Oval Office Decision: Reagan’s Free-Market Dilemma
  • Chapter 12 April 1, 1983: Proclamation 5050 and the 45 Percent Tariff
  • Chapter 13 The 700cc Workaround: Engineering Around the Tariff
  • Chapter 14 The Evolution Engine: Harley's Secret Weapon
  • Chapter 15 Learning from the East: Adopting Just-in-Time Manufacturing
  • Chapter 16 Cultivating the Tribe: The Birth of the Harley Owners Group
  • Chapter 17 Financial Tightrope: Banks, Cash Flow, and Near-Collapse
  • Chapter 18 The Tariff's Global Ripple Effect
  • Chapter 19 Shifting Tides: The American Metric Cruiser Response
  • Chapter 20 Going Public: The 1986 Return to Wall Street
  • Chapter 21 The Unprecedented Request: Asking for Early Tariff Relief
  • Chapter 22 Reagan in York: A Triumph for American Manufacturing
  • Chapter 23 The Rebirth of an American Icon
  • Chapter 24 Economic Debate: Industrial Policy, Protectionism, and Precedent
  • Chapter 25 Legacy of the Tariff War: The Modern Global Motorcycle Industry
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Author:

Donna S. Campbell

Published By:

MixCache.com Extended Catalog

Type:

Nonfiction

Date Published:

September 9, 2026

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