1930 Indian Four

This beautiful vintage Indian is owned by Buzz Kanter, publisher of the Harley magazine American Iron. During the hard times of the Great Depression and the war years, the Four was a luxurious anomaly. But Indian stuck with it, and today it’s a machine highly prized by collectors. Even more surprising is the purposeful, single-minded styling: it still has massive appeal seventy years later, and belies the remarkably convoluted history of the Four. It first appeared as the Indian Ace, after Indian bought the Ace Motor Corporation in 1927. The Ace was heavily modified to become the Indian 401, which then became the 402 after adopting the frame from the Indian Scout. Many drivetrain modifications followed—some disastrous—but the mighty 77-ci Four soldiered on until 1942. Today, there’s a thriving Indian Four club scene and you’ll need US$50-60,000 to buy a Four on the open market. If I had that kind of money to spend on a vintage motorcycle, this would be at the top of my shopping list. [Via Classic American Iron, spotted by Glenn Edley of stylish auto blog car137.]