From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company was founded as the Hendee Manufacturing Company by George M. Hendee and C. Oscar Hedstrom in Springfield, Illinois in 1901.
Hendee and Hedstrom were both motorcycle racers, Hendee having been the "high wheel" champion.
The company went on to manufacture other products such as aircraft engines, bicycles, boat motors and air conditioners. Manufacture of all products was halted in 1953.
The most popular models were the Scout, made prior to WWII, and the Chief, which had its heyday from 1946-53 (although 1949 production was extremely limited).
The company went back into manufacturing in 1999 with a newer version of the Scout, and also produced Chief and Spirit models. These bikes were based on off-the-shelf engine parts that were based on the venerable Harley Davidson design, but nearing the completion of an all-new engine design, the company succumbed to bankruptcy again in late 2003 after a major deal fell through.
