Ben Walker
Department Director
Lot 313
1947 Indian Chief
Frame no. AZ292478
Engine no. CDG2131
Frame no. AZ292478
Engine no. CDG2131
8 January 2015, 11:00 PST
Las Vegas, Bally's Hotel & CasinoSold for US$18,400 inc. premium
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Mark Osborne
Vice President
1947 Indian Chief
Frame no. AZ292478
Engine no. CDG2131
Frame no. AZ292478
Engine no. CDG2131
No motorcycle says "America" quite like a skirted Indian Chief. Those big fenders are signature items; then as now, they set the bike apart from anything else on the road. For a style so associated with a brand, it's surprising that the fenders didn't make their appearance until 1940, some 39 years after the company's founding. Indian went all-in on the design, outfitting Scouts, Chief and Fours with the new tinware. After World War II only the Chief made a return, supposedly a stop-gap measure until lighter, more advanced models came online. But a series of financial and engineering missteps doomed the company and Chiefs were still being sold when the Springfield, Massachusetts factory shut its doors in 1953.
This 1947 Chief was subject of an extensive 2006 restoration, at which time it was upgraded with the telescopic forks first fitted to the 1950 Chief, a common period modification. Also popular with riders back in the day were fringed dual saddles, rear luggage racks, tasteful pinstripes and non-stock mufflers, all as seen here.
Footnotes
Please note that this motorcycle is titled with make SPCNS and year 0000.