The Royal Enfield is the oldest vintage motorcycle model that is still in production in the modern times. The company had sourced out from Redditch, Worcestershire and it became non-existent in 1971, however, there is still production done in India. The 1963 Royal Enfield Indian Motorcycle model was the last one to use the “Indian” tagline attached to its name and sold to America.

While Royal Enfield was most famous for its production 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 producing Bullet motorcycles under a licensing agreement with the UK brand, and by 1962 they were making complete bikes. Even when Royal Enfield dissolved in 1971, the Indian company, in Chennai carried on production and bought the rights to the name “Royal Enfield” in 1995. They’re still in business as of 2009.

1950 was a vital year for the Indian Motorcycle Company in America. A company called Brockhouse Corporation had been helping finance the wavering Indian company, and bought it outright in 1950. Some unfortunate management decisions led to Indian being split into two halves: one for sales, and the other for manufacturing.

This manufacturing half could not meet the retooling expenses that were required for the overhead valve engine and so it closed in 1953. Some Indian purists thought that it was the death of “real” Indian motorcycles. But the sales half was still functioning normally.

Since Brockhouse Corporation had the authority 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 successful. Though dealerships still carried the Matchless/Indian name after 1959, the Indian name was dropped from motorcycles.

In the Indian Motorcycle history, there were numerous disputes about who would possess the authority to the brand name during this period. In 1960, the Enfield Chief was still being sold- a rebadged Enfield 700 cc twin adjusted with the fender guards, saddlebags and other Indian accessories.

However, Associated Motorcycles of Britain bought the Indian name in 1960. In 1963, the Berliner Motor Corporation overpowered the U.S distributorship of Associated Motorcycles and the Indian name was completely erased for good. These details of the deal became life-like in form of trademark and branding struggles till 1999.

But in the mid 60s, the gross-revenues arm of the Indian company was obtained by Floyd Clymer, a racer, author, motorcycle dealer, and magazine publisher. Clymer spent the last five or so years of his life trying to resuscitate the Indian brand, by fitting Indian nameplates to Italian Velocette-based bikes, and even having a prototype built based on the original Indian V-Twin design. Though well received, sadly, the prototype was the only one ever made.

The classic Indian scout motorcycle is a timeless icon in riding history. In order to learn more about Indian motorcycle handlebars follow the links.