THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE DAMMED
If ever there were a machine that captured the industrial design sensibilities of the roaring twenties it was, without a doubt, the Indian Chief. Designed with the throttle in the left-hand side of the machine to allow the police to brandish their pistols in the comic pursuit of all manner of bootleggers and slapper crooks, the Indian Chief was and remains the classic art deco machine of the 20th century. Inspired at a time when youth culture was ‘the lost generation’ and F. Scott Fitzgerald was prolifically writing his most enduring novels such as This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned and The Great Gatsby, the Chief was somehow able to sit on both sides of the law and win.

The Indian Chief, designed by Charles B Franklin, in some ways reflects the excesses of this success. However, the true mark of success in any piece of machinery is endurance and endure the Chief did, remaining in production for over 30 years. Throughout that time, the machine enjoyed numerous development improvements including the pioneering adoption of front brakes in 1928 and no less than 34 colour options thanks to the factory’s connection with E Paul Du Pont who bought the company in 1930. In 1940, the Chief was fitted with the large skirted fenders which have become the firm’s trademark; they also gained sprung frames that were superior to those of Harley-Davidson. The 1947 Chief is a handsome and comfortable machine. The machine is production year correct.