1947 Indian Chief Motorcycle

In 1897 the Hendee Manufacturing Company, founded by George M. Hendee and Oscar Herdstrom, began life as a bicycle company. By 1901 they moved into a factory in Springfield, Massachusetts. Soon after, they sold their first motorized bicycle. In 1923 the new name “Indian Motocycle Company,” no “r” at first, was established. The company survived the Depression and became very important to WWII vehicle production, with over 35,000 motorcycles produced for the war. However, despite a rich race history in the 1940s, the company soon fell on hard times and stopped production in 1953. For the next 60 years, the name “Indian Motorcycles” went through multiple owners looking to revive the famed American brand. Finally, in 2010 Polaris Industries purchased the marque, and the company made an impressive comeback.