20 | MARCH 2026 QUARTERLY SUPPLEMENT
The 1908 Indian Twin“ camelback” below is part of the permanent collection of motorcycles at the Petersen Automotive Museum.
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE’ S 125 TH ANNIVERSARY
Indian co-founder Oscar Hedstrom with a prototype in 1901.
THIS YEAR IS A big one for anniversaries. On July 4, the United States will celebrate 250 years of independence, and for half of that period, Indian Motorcycle has been part of the American story.
Founded in 1901, Indian was America’ s first motorcycle company at a time when the nascent industry was set to explode. Harley-Davidson formed in 1903, and by 1920 there were more than 100 motorcycle manufacturers in the United States.
Founded as Hendee Manufacturing Company by George M. Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom, the name was changed to Indian Motocycle Company in 1923. By the 1910s, Hendee / Indian was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, producing upwards of 32,000 machines, and the company established an enduring reputation for innovation and racing success. In 1911, Indian’ s factory team swept the podium at the Isle of Man TT races. In 1914, Erwin“ Cannonball” Baker set a long-distance record by riding an Indian across America, from San Diego to New York, in
Indian Chiefs from the 1940s, like this 1947 model, provided inspiration for the 2026 Chief Vintage( background).
11 days, 12 hours, and 10 minutes.
In the 1920s, Indian cemented its reputation with the introduction of the Chief and the Scout, both designed by Charles Franklin and powered by 42-degree V-Twins. They were renowned for reliability and performance, and their