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NACE PANZICA

Former Custom Chrome CEO Nace Panzica has died in California aged 80 . One of the original partners in Coast Cycles ( San Jose , 1970 - with founder Ty Cruze and a group of friends ), Nace was " there at the beginning " of what became Custom Chrome , a year later . Multiple moves and expansions saw the business eventually drop anchor at Morgan Hill , Ca ., in 1982 , with a 110,000 sq ft purpose-built HQ and warehouse opened in 1987 - the year of the first CCI Dealer Show . Panzica took over as CEO in 1989 and the company went public in 1990 , then he was eventually ousted as CEO ( for the first of two times ) in 1997 . Despite sales growing strongly , the late 1990s and subsequent years saw a sequence of filing and corporate investor and private equity ownerships that were never able to regain the ' glory days '. Debt and barely controlled spending weighed on the Custom Crome brand . Out of market managements cared more for their investor balance sheets than they did for the sheet metal . Sufficient capital was never generated and retained ; investments and acquisitions were often ill-conceived and ( mostly ) poorly executed . Whilst the Nace era at CCI still divides opinion , in retrospect , the second 25 years of the CCI story were not the age of optimism that characterized the first . Rest in peace Nace !

August saw the launch ( at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally ) of Willie G . Davidson ' s new memoir - " Ride Free ." " Ride Free " is a passionate commentary about some of Harley- Davidson ' s most popular motorcycles and the changes in the motorcycle industry from the post-WW II resurgence of riders to the growing

number of competitors from around the world in the 60s and 70s . " At the heart of the book is Davidson ' s personal story , from his childhood growing up in the shadow of the Harley-Davidson factory to his decades-long career designing some of the most iconic motorcycles in history . " As a third-generation H-D employee , a part of the group that resurrected the company from the AMF years and an avid supporter of non-profits ( especially the Muscular Dystrophy Association ), Willie G . Davidson has been at the heart of motorcycling culture for decades . In ' Ride Free ', he shares an intimate look into his life and

work , and shares his passion for motorcycle racing and art ." Willie G . states : " I started competing in enduros during high school , and Nancy would cheer me on . I was just extending the family tradition : both my father and my great-uncle Walter had been endurance-run champions . I competed in local events , never in a national , but I won a few trophies . When I traded up to a 165 cc bike in my senior year , I became more of a threat in those competitions ." What sets the book apart from other memoirs is the fact that it will also feature Davidson ' s own artwork , including drawings and watercolor

paintings . " I wanted to share my story with fans of Harley-Davidson and anyone who loves motorcycles ," he explains . " But I also wanted to share my artwork , which has always been a big part of my life . " I always describe my relation to the Motor Company as a love affair . And that ' s really what it was , a lifetime love affair with ( wife ) Nancy by my side ." Ride Free2 is published in partnership with Forefront Books and distributed globally by Simon & Schuster . For more information about , or to order " Ride Free ," visit www . williegdavidson . com . Dealer inquiries are welcome - call 414-375-0475 .