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Five years later Zanghi goes to prison for fraud.ġ994 – Wayne Baughman’s Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing, Inc. Clymer’s company folds about 1977.ġ992 – After being dormant another 15 Years, in 1992 Philip Zanghi bought the rights to the trademark convicted of fraud and money laundering in 1997, Zanghi never mass produced any motorcycles. Some Taiwanese machines are also manufactured and branded Indian. They have Italian frames and various British and German engines. Technically Indian went out of business in 1953ġ953 – An arrangement with Brockhouse Engineering LTD in England revived Indian somewhat until 1961ġ960 – AMC, another British company buys the Indian trademarkġ962 – AMC goes bankrupt ending their ventureġ968 – Publisher and entrepreneur Floyd Clymer begins to import motorcycles from Europe branded as Indians. Here’s a quick timeline to catch you up, and specs on the featured 2001 Chief new to the Museum’s collection:ġ902 – After making three motorcycles in 1901, actual Indian production started in 1902. While interesting reading, this chronicle of the brand’s ownership and ups and downs, it’s great to see the brand’s fate sealed with the competent management of Polaris Industries into the future. In the Museum’s lobby is an exquisite example of current Indian design from Polaris Industries, a 2017 Indian Chief Vintage fund-raiser bike. When you visit the Indian Motorcycle Story exhibit area at the National Motorcycle Museum you’ll see a wide range of Indians important to the brand’s history, including the Torque Four, on loan from the Antique Motorcycle Foundation and the Century Chief, the super rare prototype, Wayne Baughman’s ill-fated attempt to revive the brand. My small part of American Motorcycle History.” I wanted to do this so that it will be preserved for many, many years. I’m a Factory Worker and not the kind of person to afford such a donation but this is how we keep our History. The Indian is American Motorcycle History and this Chief being 100 years (2001) since the first Indian motorcycle which is the first American motorcycle produced, it’s a work of Art. The bike is gorgeous I just didn’t have it in my heart for the odometer to hit 100 miles on it.
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I went for a ride to Lake Michigan, the one and only ride I had on it. “I have always liked the look of the Indian Motorcycle. This motorcycle fills a key niche in Indian history, is very important to the Museum telling the history of Indian and donor James Kenney agrees. Last month James Kenney contacted the Museum asking about donating his Chief to the Museum’s permanent collection, and of course the affirmative decision came in moments. Its owner, James Kenney, who bought it new, realized its value as a marker in Indian history and put less than 90 miles on it, choosing to keep it as an original unrestored machine. Special badging and paint make this machine unique. A combination of a compromised dealer network, a need for better quality control and a lack of distinction in the S&S-supplied engine contributed to the company’s demise.īut celebrating 100 years of the Indian brand, the exceptional, extremely low mileage 2001 Centennial model illustrated here is a great example of the CMC’s output. This iteration of Indian lasted until September 2003 when bankruptcy was declared. With litigation resolved over intellectual property rights, the CMC product line was re-launched under the Indian brand, the first machines off the assembly line in 1999. In 1998 Toronto-based Indian Motorcycle Company acquired the California Motorcycle Company to create the new Indian Motorcycle Company of Gilroy, California. For the following 50-plus years, various attempts were made to revive the brand with most being underfunded and unsuccessful. With some changes in ownership and ups and downs in sales, Indian produced motorcycles for over 50 years, until 1953, and went out of business. So the 1901 “Camelback” was the first of many fine Indians. Hendee felt it could be more than a pacer viable personal transportation. The machine’s origins are a bicycle racing pacer engineered by Hedstrom and some creative marketing thinking by Hendee. Indian as a motorcycle brand dates back to the 1901 launch of the first Indian motorcycle by George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom in Springfield, Massachusetts.