AMCA Meet, Raalte, NL
That Parisian Secret
If you made it to the 2026 AMCA Europe meeting in Raalte, the Netherlands, you could be forgiven to have strong suspicions that executives from Harley-Davidson had been nosing around in Paris in October 1925. Specifically, at the “Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes.” This world fair of decorative arts and crafts is considered to be the birthplace of “Art Deco” – an iconic design movement characterized by sweeping, elegant combinations of shapes and colours. Soon after its design language found its way into the Company’s output: in the early 1930s, previously unseen tank designs and multicoloured paint jobs started rolling off the Milwaukee production lines along with curved, flowing lines on tanks and fenders, speedometer consoles, and exhaust systems – and even accessories were designed “à la mode.” Motorcycles were, after all, no longer just bicycles with engines and fuel tanks, but objects that had to sell themselves through their appearance. Competition was fierce.
The Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA)
this year wanted to celebrate this influential movement, and had made “Art Deco” the theme of their 2026 annual meeting.
Visitors from all over Europe – and some even from the U.S. – were thus treated to an unparalleled festival of colour this year. In addition to the ubiquitous HDs, there were, of course, models from Indian and Henderson-Excelsior, as well as various other brands with Art Deco influences, if perhaps not as thorough in their implementation as those coming from Milwaukee.
A 1933 or 1934 Harley-Davidson V-model is a looker to behold, and the 1936 Knucklehead in a two-tone paint scheme with an Airflow taillight – like Peter Reeves’s in Venetian Blue / Croydon Cream – set the visual – and technology – standard worldwide back in the day … Interested visitors could view all these machines in person and up close on the grounds of Max Middelbosch’s American Motorcycle Museum in Raalte, The Netherlands.
The cream of the crop were inspected even more closely
by the respective brand specialists of the AMCA as part of the Judging, where originality and technical accuracy are evaluated according to a fixed scoring system. It always starts with 100 points, and deductions are made for every inaccuracy. For example, a wrong washer scores a 1/4 point off. Tragically, there’s no chance of getting away with it: these guys will spot everything.
To reach the highest category, the “Winners' Circle,” the restorer has to put in a tremendous amount of effort and have the machine undergo this inspection at least three times. And score over 95 points in the process. Congratulations to Olivier Nerrant from France; his 1936 Knucklehead in teak red / black made it into the Winners' Circle. A well earned reward for the hard work on the bike.
Oh, and if you thought just looking right is all there is to it: to even be eligible for judging, the motorcycle on display must start right up on the spot. No exceptions, no excuses.
It was a bit of a shame that the weather wasn’t
exactly picture-perfect – May felt more like April. But there was a large heated marquee and two restaurants serving burgers, beer, and more. You definitely needed some sustenance to check out the adjacent swap meet – which was even bigger than last year and packed with people. No wonder: Anyone looking for parts for rare American bikes, especially pre-war models, can’t afford to miss the AMCA Meet in Raalte. There’s plenty to find there on 2,000 square meters, more than at the entire Veterama. It’s almost a must-attend event for the serious wrencher.
The W&W Wrecking Crew are already looking forward to be back again in May 2027.
Thanks for the pics, Horst Rösler, motographer.de