Indian Motorcycle Timeline:

This is a short timeline showing Indian motorcycle history.   The goal is to cover only the major developments of the company.  The Indian story is very complex but interesting as well.  Indian never fully died but recovered time and time again.  I think the "Polaris" chapter will become one of the best!

Before 1920:

1902   the first Indian is produced for sale

1903   Oscar Hedstrom breaks world speed record of 56mph

1905   the first V-twin is built for racing

1907   a street version of the V-twin is built

1909   Indian introduces the loop frame copied by many

1911   an OHV, 8 valve engine is built for racing

1914   Cannonball Baker crosses US in 11 days, 12 hrs. & 10 min.

1916   the new Powerplus engine is built and sold

1918   Indian buys the Merkel Motor wheel and sells them after 1920

1919   the first Scout is offered for sale

 After 1920's:

1922  the 1,000cc Chief is is built

1923  the Chief is enlarged to 1,200cc

1927  Indian buys ACE and puts their name on the 4 cylinder motorcycle

1928  the Indian ACE replaces the Indian 401

The 1930's and 1940's:

1930   E. Paul DuPont buys a majority share of Indian and saves the company from bankrupsy

1936  the 4 cylinder engines have major updates which stay till the end; the "upside down" 4 cylinder is produced

1937  the Sport Scout wins the Daytona 200

1940  the Chief gets the skirted fenders

1941  the military 841 (transverse V-twin) is built in small numbers

1942  the last 4 cylinder is built

1945  DuPont sells Indian to Ralph P. Rogers who also buys Torque manufacturing to offer British style motorcycles which can be added to the Indian lineup

1949  the British styled Scout and Arrow are built; a 220cc single and 440cc twin, they later become 250cc and 500cc engines; they have serious problems and are considered by most to be failures which further hurt Indian; problems are sorted out but the value of the dollar makes Indian overpriced so sales remain low, Indian buyers wanted the Chief

 The 1950 to 1970 Indians:

1950  the Chief grows to 1.300cc's; Brockhouse Engineering buys the dealership side of the company dividing Indian into two corporations, the sales division and the manufacturing side which was operated by Titeflex (the designers of the British designed Indian owned by Rogers)

1953  Indian goes bankrupt

1955  British "Brockhouse Engineering" buys the Indian name and uses Royal Enfield motorcycles as "Indians" as well as selling several other bikes with the Indian badge on the tanks

1959  Many Brockhouse Royal Enfield Indians are unsold and continue to be sold for the next several years even after AMC owned the division (RE Indians sold alongside Matchless and AJS motorcycles)

1959  A seperate company called Indian Motorcycle Sales & Service operated by 
"Ed Nichols" in the Chicago area opens (no information about actual sales can be found)

1960  British Associated Motorcycles buys Indian Motorcycles Sales Corp. to sell various British brands of motorcycles, they are in deep financial trouble by 1962;  they sell Matchless and AJS motorcycles through the Indian dealers but don't use the Indian logo on their tanks

1960's (mid) around 50 Sammy Pierce Indians were built using the Indian name without owning it

1963  Floyd Clymer of "Motorcycle" magazine fame attempts to ressurrect Indian (from 1967 to 1970 Clymer builds various versions from the 1968 Scout to the 1970's Enfield/Italian Indians)

1967  Burt Monroe builds the Worlds Fastest Indian

1971  after Clymer's death, his lawyer, Alan Newman,  sells Italian and Taiwanese scooters with the Indian name from 1971 to 1976

1974 or 1975  Indian using a Ducati engine built by Alan Newman; check page listed as "more Indians," lower part!

1976  Philip Zanghi takes money to build a new Indian and sells clothing only, 1993 is supposed to unveil a new Indian but is charged with fraud and spends 4+ years behind bars 

1987  Kansas City - Jack Benson "Indian" concept "only."  Picture in May1987 Cycle magazine p.16. Check out the picture on the "MORE PICTURES II" page.  

The Indian since the 1990's:

1994        Wayne Baughman builds an Indian prototype and is charged with fraud and tax evasion; his bike is called the "Century Chief"

1998 - 1999  Eller Motors attempts to buy the Indian name.  Canadian group buys CMC factory in Gilroy, California

1999 to 2003  the Gilroy Indian; they introduce the "Powerplus" engine

1999 to 2009  these are "estimated" years: I have records that Alan Forbes built Indians in Edinburgh, Scotland in small numbers called the Dakota (or Wiking).  The Dakota is mentioned eleswhere on my site!  The 1845cc engine was a blend of Volvo and VW parts.  He apparently had European rights to the name.  I have only minimal amounts of information on the motorcycle but it did exist and was published in the March 2000 Cycle World magazine, page. 29. My documentation is incomplete but the bike did exist and was manufactured in small numbers.

2006 to 2011  the Stillicon Indian

2011        Polaris buys Indian

2013        Return of Indian first selling off remaining Stellican models; Polaris willingly covers any warranty work from any past Indians, what character for a company

2015        the Indian Scout returns

2016        a discount 1,000cc Scout is added to the lineup

2017        Indian dominates profesional flat track racing (wins 2 Manufacturing Championships)

2018        Indian FTR750 takes top 12 places in Black Hills Mile

2020        new 1800cc Challenger OHC series