The Liberator Fairing. Elvis had one.
It stands out in a crowd. It is rare. You're lucky to find one.
Dates sold: 1975-77
Bikes fit: Big Twin Harleys
Number made: Approx. 1000
Retail price:
First seen: 1975 Las Vegas
Notes:
 Made for Harley-Davidson. Few made because molds were destroyed Feb. 1977 in Vetter fire.
Elvis' Liberator at Graceland
I had helped Elvis get his start when I bought my copy of Heartbreak Hotel in 1957. He returned the favor by buying a Liberator in 1976.
The Liberator began when I made a call to Harley-Davidson in 1973. "Would they like a big, frame mounted fairing for the FLH?" The answer was yes and a "Fit-up" bike was made available.

I had the name all along. The "Liberator" was the plane my daddy was crew chief on in WW II. I loved that airplane.
1973: designing the Liberator
I got my "designers clay" out - the same clay I had used to make the Windjammer three years before - and began shaping what I hoped would be a great fairing for Harley
My dad's B-24 Liberator bomber, 1944
Getting all those Harley lights in there was a challenge. I hoped to be able to put a clear, rounded cover over the front, but the laws at that time would not allow it
I liked the idea of making a big bomber of a fairing
Charly Perethian grins after his test drive on the first Liberator. We wanted this fairing to offer the most touring protection possible. After all, the FLH was the definitive cross - country cruiser of America, right? Inside were two enormous side storage compartments. Outside, the Liberator lit up like a Christmas tree.

Elvis understood he would be noticed with his Liberator.
Jan 1974: The moment of truth. Willie G. takes a look.

Tony Salsbury and Jim Miller from Vetter hold their breath.
Dave Caruso accepts production for Harley-Davidson
Derek Rickman, visiting from England, and Tony Salsbury inspect shipments to Harley
1976: an official Harley-Davidson product
It was actually advertised on TV!
Feb 1, 1977: The end of the Liberator Fairing
Sometime around midnight, a heater too close to stacks of boxes of finished Liberators and Windjammers, caught them on fire. We lost two buildings, including the molds for the Liberator Fairing and the Hondaline fairing we were going to make.

That was the end of the Liberator
An original, unused Liberator fairing is part of the Vetter Collection at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, Pickerington, Ohio.
Epilogue
Original owners like Jim Kovar have put 92,000 miles on their Liberator. New owners like Tommy Nichols will restore theirs. Sadly, my Liberator Fairing never had a chance to become the standard for the Motor Company. Instead, the design of my best competitor became "The Look."
In 1965, Dean Wixom designed this fairing as an accessory for the FLH. Forty years later... the "BatWing" fairing is still with us, now made by the Motor Company.
Liberator Fairings can still be found. Many new owners have made their own hardware to put them on other bikes. Who'd have thunk?
It looks surprizingly good on an old GoldWing
Updated Mar 9, 2008
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