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Delivery of the Signature
Harley-Davidsons
Elvis Presley 30th Anniversary® Signature Harley-Davidsons
numbers 1-29 at Graceland
Photo by Phillip Ridings ©
Zucker PR, Inc.
To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Elvis
Presley's passing, Bruce
Rossmeyer, CEO of 12 Harley-Davidson® locations including the all
new Graceland® Harley-Davidson located in the Elvis After Dark Plaza in
Memphis, partnered with renowned painter David
Uhl and sculptor Jeff
Decker to create the unique Elvis Presley 30th Anniversary Signature
Collection. After debuting the
prototype at Graceland earlier this year the series of one of a kind
collection of 30 motorcycles that replicate the 1957 Black
Harley-Davidson FLH that Elvis once owned. On August 15th, 2007,
at an invitation only presentation at Graceland the first 29 bikes were
delivered. Bike number 30 is tentatively planned to be auctioned
on January 8, 2008, Elvis' birthday.1
The owners with their Elvis Presley 30th Anniversary® Signature Harley-Davidsons
Photo by Phillip Ridings ©
Zucker PR, Inc.
Although appearing as a classic custom vintage bike,
the motorcycles feature a 2007 Softail Chassis and drive train
maintaining all of today's engineering and safety features. The
motorcycles also feature Royalite® Bubble Saddlebags like the 50 year
old originals now commercially reproduced by BB
Reproductions. In addition to the motorcycles and
certification each of the owners received unique pieces created for this
occasion by painter David Uhl and sculptor Jeff Decker numbered one to
thirty and paired with the corresponding motorcycle.1
David Uhl, Bruce Rossmeyer, Mitch Omar of O’s Custom
Paint, Lisa Rossmeyer Wade and Jeff Decker
Photo by Phillip Ridings © Zucker PR, Inc.
Lisa Rossmeyer Wade, Mitch Omar, Jack Soden, CEO of Elvis Enterprises and Bruce Rossmeyer
Photo by Phillip Ridings ©
Zucker PR, Inc.
The owner of motorcycle number 1 of 30 receives his certification
Kendal and Wendy Maroney with their motorcycle number 9 of 30
John C. Hamlin with his motorcycle number 12 of 30
As a sculptor, Jeff Decker's artistic ability far
xceeds his mechanical talent, yet his custom built bikes speak for
themselves. Long before he became the only officially licensed
sculptor for Harley-Davidson, he sought to immortalize in bronze early
American racing. This is undeniably his all-consuming passion.1
After completion of a life size version of this piece Jeff plans to
create a piece in honor of Elvis' first motorcycle, a 1956
Harley-Davidson KH.
Sculptor Jeffrey Decker with one of his creations
"The King and his Ride" - Sculpture by Jeffrey Decker ©
2007
"The King and his Ride" - Sculpture by Jeffrey Decker ©
2007
Entering his tenth year as a fine artist for Harley-Davidson, painter
David Uhl continues to display an uncanny ability to capture the
nostalgia and romanticism of Harley-Davidson's rich history. His
art is displayed throughout the world in museums and galleries and has
been sought by serious art collectors to celebrities alike.
Painting by David Uhl ©
2007
"This is an event that Elvis probably would have
loved"
Bike number 30 is currently stored at the store in Horn
Lake, MS but may at some point be on display there until its auction
next year. One of the two prototypes built is on display at Graceland
in the Harley Davidson Store. The other was purchased by
Jay Leno. This endeavor has been successful
enough that plans are being discussed for possible future Elvis themed
edition Harley-Davidsons though doubtfully anything on this large a
scale. For more info on these Anniversary Bikes
and other planned editions,
please contact Lisa Rossmeyer Wade at Bruce Rossmeyer’s Southern
Thunder Harley-Davidson 662-349-1099.
added August 23, 2007
1text courtesy
8-15-2007 press release kit by Zucker
Public Relations, Inc. for Bruce
Rossmeyer, Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson and EPE,
Inc.
Bruce Rossmeyer, Harley-Davidson empire builder, dies in motorcycle crash in Wyoming
"World's Largest" Harley-dealership owner Bruce Rossmeyer killed in motorcycle
accident on way to Sturgis biker rally
Bruce Rossmeyer (ORLANDO SENTINEL FILE / March 2, 2005)
Ludmilla Lelis
Sentinel Staff Writer
July 31, 2009
Bruce Rossmeyer staked his claim as the world's largest Harley-Davidson dealer,
amassing an empire of 15 dealerships and stores across the nation, including his
crown jewel, Destination Daytona off Interstate 95.
He made his face and name synonymous with motorcycles on TV commercials and
massive highway billboards. Using his blockbuster persona, he promoted Daytona
Beach's Bike Week and his favorite charities.
On Thursday, Rossmeyer died on a Harley, riding a Wyoming highway with a pack of
friends on his annual trip to Sturgis, the biker mecca in South Dakota.
Rossmeyer, 66, lived in Ormond Beach. He is survived by his wife, Sandy; five
children; and several grandchildren.
"He was in that moment that he lived for. He was doing what he loved to do,"
said Richie Supa, a fellow biker and musician who performed at Rossmeyer's
charity events. "How ironic it is for him to be on a motorcycle in one of the
most beautiful riding territories in the U.S.
"It's sad, but he couldn't have picked a better spot on God's earth to feel that
freedom when you ride."
Rossmeyer was traveling with friends on his way to the 69th annual Sturgis
motorcycle rally, one of the nation's largest. He had recently left Colorado,
where he owns two dealerships.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol said Rossmeyer and five other bikers were headed east
on Highway 28 in Sweetwater County when they were trailing a Ford pickup pulling
a double-axle camper-style trailer.
The truck driver, Robert L. VanValkenburg, 73, of Rock Springs, Wyo., slowed
down and began making a left turn when Rossmeyer tried to pass him, the Highway
Patrol said. Rossmeyer, who was not wearing a helmet, struck the driver's-side
door. VanValkenburg's turn signals and brake lights were working at the time of
the crash, the report said.
In Sturgis, news of his death shocked the many bikers who had arrived at the
rally, said Woody Woodruff, owner of Buffalo Chip Campground, a Sturgis landmark.
"His death is going to change the entire motorcycle industry," Woodruff said.
"You have movers and shakers, and Bruce was definitely a mover and shaker. He
made things happen. You lose someone like that and it creates a big void."
Born in New Brunswick, N.J., Rossmeyer built his first career as an automotive
dealer, starting with his own Dodge dealership in New Jersey in 1969.
A longtime motorcycle rider, he opened a Harley-Davidson dealership in Daytona
Beach, almost as a hobby. "I thought this would be neat to mess around on
weekends and have some fun," Rossmeyer said in a 2007 interview with the Orlando
Sentinel.
But that 1994 opening of the Daytona dealership coincided with the dramatic jump
in motorcycle sales. During the next decade, Harley-Davidsons and the whole
biker culture roared into the mainstream, becoming a billion-dollar business,
and Rossmeyer enjoyed the ride.
He continued to expand his Harley empire, opening dealerships in New Smyrna
Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach, as well as in Colorado, Massachusetts,
Mississippi and the Graceland-themed dealership in Memphis, Tenn.
The crown jewel of his empire was the 109,000-square-foot Destination Daytona in
Ormond Beach, a 150-acre resort for bikers with hotels, condos, restaurants and
stores anchored by his big-box-size dealership, which ranks as the world's
largest Harley dealership. It opened in 2005 as Bike Week hit its peak in
Daytona Beach and was attracting a half-million bikers to town.
Rossmeyer never envisioned he would become such a motorcycle magnate and
credited his success to hard work, luck, family support and good timing.
He reveled in building a business that he called " Halloween for adults."
"You can dress up, put on your leathers, go act like you're a biker and on
Monday morning, go back to Wall Street," he said in a Sentinel interview.
Rossmeyer was a major fundraiser and benefactor for several charities, including
Camp Boggy Creek, Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties and of Broward
County, and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Broward.
Daytona Beach police Chief Mike Chitwood said Rossmeyer's dealership supplies
his department with a dozen Harley-Davidsons, for a mere $150 a year.
"He always would grab you with that big paw of a hand and say, 'Chief, don't be
afraid to call me.' He had the look: 'I'm doing this because I believe in it.'"
"It's a tremendous loss also for this community," Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn
Ritchey said. "Bruce was not only a friend. He was a great community leader."
At heart, Rossmeyer was just a teddy bear, his friend Supa said. "He loved to
laugh. He was just a very fun guy."
Susan Jacobson of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Ludmilla Lelis
can be reached at llelis@orlandosentinel.com or 386-253-0964.
Copyright © 2009, Orlando Sentinel
article added August 12, 2009
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