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Indian Motorcycle
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Pride of the American Road
America's love for the motorcycle began in 1900 with
bicycle racer George M. Hendee and engineering
wizard Carl Oscar Hedstrom. In 1901, the partners
unveiled their first creation, the 1901 Single. The
trade name they chose for their innovative machine
would signify "a wholly American product in the
pioneering tradition".
The name was INDIAN.
History of Indian Motorycle
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1901 - 1909
Indian wins the Gold Medal for
Mechanical Excellence
at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition. In
1906, George
Holder Louis Mueller ride an Indian from
San Francisco
to New York City in 31 trouble-free
days, breaking the existing record by
over 18 days.
A 1907 Indian Twin wins the first
English 1000-Mile Reliability Trial. The
New York City Police Department buys two
Indian Twins to chase down runaway
horses. |
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1910 - 1919
By 1911, Indian riders hold every
American speed and distance record.
In 1914, over 3,000 employees work on a
7-mile long assembly line in Indian's
1-million square foot Springfield,
Massachusetts plant.
Racing activities are suspended in 1916
as the company supplies the war effort
with 41,000 machines. |
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1920 - 1929
In 1923 the company renamed the Indian
Motocycle Company, dropping the "r" in
motorcycle. It's a decade
of growth for the Indian model line,
starting with the revolutionary 1920
Scout and followed by the 95-mph Chief,
the even more powerful Big Chief, the
lightweight Prince, and the awesome
4-cylinder Four.
The 1928 101 Scout becomes the machine
of choice for "wall of death" stunt
riders. |
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1930 - 1939
The Art Deco era hits with Indians
adorned in a full range of Duco colors,
two-tone designs, pinstriping and
decals. Two new lightweight models debut
in 1932, the Motoplane and the Pony
Scout. "Iron Man" Ed Kretz, aboard a
Sport Scout, laps the entire filed in
his win at the 1937 inaugural Daytona
200. With the onset of World War II in
1939, the focus again shifts to
providing the War Department with
motorcycles. The government of France
orders 5,000 Chiefs with sidecars. |
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1940 - 1949
The entire 1940 Indian line appears with
the now-famous deeply valanced fenders.
Production during the war years is
mainly military and police vehicles. In
1945 the company is sold and
consolidated into the Torque Engineering
Company. Later, the company is divided,
with manufacturing going to the Atlas
Corporation and distribution to the
Indian Sales Corporation. In 1948 Floyd
Emde rides a 648 Scout to Indian final
Daytona 200 win. |
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1950 - 1953
Following the war, Indian struggles with
its re-entry into the public market.
The Chief, dropped for a year, is
re-introduced in 1951
as a mighty 80-cubic inch model, but
sales continue to decline and Indian is
forced to halt production in 1953. |
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2004 - 2007
In 2004, Steve Heese and Stephen Julius,
after resurrecting the struggling
Chris-Craft Boat Company, turn their
attention to Indian.
They acquire trademark rights and
intellectual properties and begin to
gear up for a return to production by
the second half of 2008. |
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Recommended Products for your Indian motorcycling
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