OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Imagine shoehorning an engine into the chassis of a modern Indian Chief, replacing its OHV motor with a smaller-capacity yet higher performance powerplant aimed at securing bragging rights over Harley-Davidson. That’s exactly what happened over 70 years ago, when Indian combined with Britain’s illustrious Vincent marque in 1949 to create the one-and-only Vindian prototype.

The fact Indian even survived the Great Depression, which left only it and Harley still standing out of the 20-plus American motorcycle manufacturers in 1920, was thanks to wealthy investor E. Paul DuPont, who bought the company in 1929. In his hands, Indian matched Harley for production and profitability throughout the 1930s, with 8883 bikes built in 1939, 500 more than Harley. But after building 42,044 Indian Scouts for use in WWII – 9000 of them sent to Russia – the end of hostilities left Indian in no condition to resume its prewar battle with Harley for market supremacy.

Its very survival was at risk. Very few examples of the flathead 74 cubic-inch Chief were being built, the popular Scout was dropped from the lineup in 1945 and by 1946, just 6974 Indians were produced against 15,554 Harley-Davidsons – and that number shrank to 3000 in 1949.

You see, in 1945 a 35-year-old investor named Ralph Rogers purchased Indian. With no prior industry experience but with the eyes of an outsider, he anticipated a rise in popularity of small- and mid-capacity motorcycles. Right idea, just 10 years too soon. His