Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle model in the world that is still in production. The company originated in Redditch, Worcestershire and was dissolved in 1971, but production in India goes-on to this day. The 1963 Royal Enfield Indian Motorcycle was the last to apply the "Indian" name attached to Royal Enfield and sold in America...
While Royal Enfield was most famous for its sale of motorcycles, it made numerous other things, like rifle parts, lawnmowers, and bicycles. Their logo was a picture of a cannon with the motto "Made like a gun, goes like a bullet.
By 1955, Enfield of India began manufacturing Bullet motorcycles under a licensing treaty with the UK brand, and by 1962 they were making complete bikes. Even when Royal Enfield dissolved in 1971, the Indian company, in Chennai continued production and bought the rights to the name "Royal Enfield" in 1995. They're still in business as of 2009.
The year 1950 was a turning point for the Indian Motorcycle Company of America. A company called Brockhouse Corporation was assisting with the finance of faltering Indian company, and bought it in 1950. Some unlucky proceedings led to the India branch being split into two: one for the sales, and one for manufacturing.
The manufacturing sector could not meet the retooling costs for an overhead valve engine, and it closed in 1953. Some Indian purists consider that to be the end of the "real" Indian motorcycles. But the sales arm of the company did not fold.
Since Brockhouse Corporation had the rights to the name after Indian manufacturing went under, they began importing Enfields and selling them as Indians from 1955 to 1970. This was an early example of "badge engineering," and it was not rewarded. Though dealerships still carried the Matchless/Indian name after 1959, the Indian name was dropped from motorcycles.
It was during this period of Indian Motorcycle history that disputes about who owned the rights to the brand name begun evolving. The Enfield Chief was still being sold in 1960 - a rebadged Enfield 700 cc twin fitted with the fender guards, saddlebags, and other Indian paraphernalia.
But Associated Motorcycles of Britain purchased the Indian name in 1960. It was in 1963 that the U.S. distributorship of Associated Motorcycles was taken over by the Berliner Motor Corporation, and all evidences of the Indian name were quietly retired for good. The details of this deal took on a life of their own in the form of trademark and branding disputes that lasted until 1999.
Floyd Clymer, who was a racer, author, motorcycle dealer, and a magazine publisher, obtained the sales sector of the Indian company in the mid 60s. He spent five or more years of his life trying to retrieve the Indian brand name by fitting Indian nameplates to Italian Velocette-based bikes, and even having a prototype built based on the archetype Indian V-twin design. Even though it was well received, it was the only prototype ever manufactured.
While Royal Enfield was most famous for its sale of motorcycles, it made numerous other things, like rifle parts, lawnmowers, and bicycles. Their logo was a picture of a cannon with the motto "Made like a gun, goes like a bullet.
By 1955, Enfield of India began manufacturing Bullet motorcycles under a licensing treaty with the UK brand, and by 1962 they were making complete bikes. Even when Royal Enfield dissolved in 1971, the Indian company, in Chennai continued production and bought the rights to the name "Royal Enfield" in 1995. They're still in business as of 2009.
The year 1950 was a turning point for the Indian Motorcycle Company of America. A company called Brockhouse Corporation was assisting with the finance of faltering Indian company, and bought it in 1950. Some unlucky proceedings led to the India branch being split into two: one for the sales, and one for manufacturing.
The manufacturing sector could not meet the retooling costs for an overhead valve engine, and it closed in 1953. Some Indian purists consider that to be the end of the "real" Indian motorcycles. But the sales arm of the company did not fold.
Since Brockhouse Corporation had the rights to the name after Indian manufacturing went under, they began importing Enfields and selling them as Indians from 1955 to 1970. This was an early example of "badge engineering," and it was not rewarded. Though dealerships still carried the Matchless/Indian name after 1959, the Indian name was dropped from motorcycles.
It was during this period of Indian Motorcycle history that disputes about who owned the rights to the brand name begun evolving. The Enfield Chief was still being sold in 1960 - a rebadged Enfield 700 cc twin fitted with the fender guards, saddlebags, and other Indian paraphernalia.
But Associated Motorcycles of Britain purchased the Indian name in 1960. It was in 1963 that the U.S. distributorship of Associated Motorcycles was taken over by the Berliner Motor Corporation, and all evidences of the Indian name were quietly retired for good. The details of this deal took on a life of their own in the form of trademark and branding disputes that lasted until 1999.
Floyd Clymer, who was a racer, author, motorcycle dealer, and a magazine publisher, obtained the sales sector of the Indian company in the mid 60s. He spent five or more years of his life trying to retrieve the Indian brand name by fitting Indian nameplates to Italian Velocette-based bikes, and even having a prototype built based on the archetype Indian V-twin design. Even though it was well received, it was the only prototype ever manufactured.
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Indian scout motorbikes are all time classics. For more information on Indian motorbike parts click on the links.
