1949 Indian Scout 440
Engine Number:BD14587. Frame Number: 2494587
$14,000 - $18,000
Provenance: Acquired by the current owner from the Rob Coleman collection sold by Webb’s.

Scouts Honour

The Indian Scout was a visionary bike that foreshadowed what the Japanese factories would accomplish a decade later – to bringing European styles motorcycling to the US market. Featuring a 440cc vertical twin engine set in a rear-sprung frame with telescopic front forks, the Indian Scout weighed just 143kg fully serviced which was light for the day. However the development of the parallel twin consumed more time and money than expected. And this translated into shelf prices that were also higher than anticipated. So Springfields attempt to bring the British twin to America was bound to fail. Produced in small numbers the parallel twin Indian Scout is a rare example of the proverb that good intentions pave the way to hell.

Auction March 2013
Image and text courtesy Webbs Auction House NZ
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