Offered from the estate of the late Neil Redley, 1970 Indian-Velocette 499cc Thruxton

• Rare Anglo-American hybrid
• One of only 46 Thruxton models made
• Formerly part of the Michael Corbin Collection
• Present ownership since 2016

The Indian company had kept itself afloat after the demise of its traditional v-twin Chief - and the ill-fated parallel-twin models – in 1953 by distributing first Matchless and then Royal Enfield motorcycles in the USA, the Enfields being badged as Indians. When the Royal Enfield deal ended the firm went back to distributing Matchless, whose parent company Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) had bought the rights to the Indian name in 1960. When the Berliner Corporation took over AMC distribution in the USA in 1963, the once-great name of Indian vanished. Fast forward a few years and we find Floyd Clymer, publisher of Cycle magazine and an ex-Indian dealer, attempting to revive it in collaboration with Friedl Munch in Germany. Plans to introduce a Munch-framed Sport Scout came to nought, but under Clymer's auspices the Indian name did appear on several other (mainly Royal Enfield-engined) prototypes, a range of two-stroke mini-bikes and the model for which his association with the Springfield marque is best remembered: the Indian Velocette.

Clymer updated the Velocette single in a manner that its creators should have done a decade previously - when the firm folded in 1971 its frames were still being brazed together like they had been in 1914 - using a chassis built by Leopoldo Tartarini's Italjet company and Italian cycle parts. Launched in 1969, Clymer's Anglo-Italian hybrid used the 499cc Venom engine in both stock and high-performance Thruxton configurations, but although the model was undeniably stylish it arrived too late to save either Indian or Velocette, and when Clymer died in 1970 the project died with him. Estimates of the number of machines produced range from 100 to 150.

The rare machine we offer is one of only 46 Thruxton-specification Indian Velocettes produced and is the 12th from last one made. This Indian-Velocette was sold by Bonhams at our 'Legend of the Motorcycle, a Sale of Exceptional Motorcycles and Related Memorabilia' featuring the Michael Corbin Collection on 3rd May 2008 (Lot 104). Its purchaser was the previous owner, who subsequently sold the machine to Neil in 2016. Imported into the UK from Milan, Italy, it comes with a State of Ohio Certificate of Title, a V5C document, a dating certificate and a history file. Stored within the collection and used sparingly, the machine will need recommissioning following a period of inactivity.
Offered with key