Held by many as one of the most significant motorcycles in history, the Indian Scout, like this exceptionally restored 1937 Junior Scout, occupies a special place in motorcycling culture. The creation of Indian’s brilliant engineer Charles B. Franklin for the 1920 season, the original Indian Scout was a perfect combination of innovation, style and accessibility. The 1920 Scout was an economical middleweight motorcycle featuring a 37 CI (606cc) side-valve V-twin set into a streamlined, low- profile chassis, making it sporty and nimble. Its displacement was bumped to 45 CI (750cc) in 1927, before Franklin debuted his latest creation, the 101 Scout, in 1928, a machine heralded as the finest Indian ever produced. Amid the management changes and shifting manufacturing priorities caused by the economic hardships of the Great Depression, Indian discontinued the 101 Scout in 1931, replacing it the following year with a redesigned standard Scout in 1932. Along with the new standard Scout, Indian released the smaller, 30.50 CI (500cc) Scout Pony in 1932, hoping to appeal to economically minded and entry-level customers. Neither new model provided a suitable alternative to those who wanted the sporty performance of the 101. In response, Indian developed the ill-fated, one-year-only Motoplane the following year, what was essentially a 45 CI Scout engine shoehorned into the lightweight frame of Indian’s single-cylinder Prince. In 1934, Indian recaptured the balance of its beloved Scout line with the Sport Scout, but retained the Scout Pony as the affordable option in its lineup. Finally, in 1937, Indian rebranded the Scout Pony to the Junior Scout, a stylish and reliable mode of transport at more than half the price of its most expensive model, and nearly a third less than the average car. This gorgeous, royal blue and gold 1937 Indian model 537 Junior Scout has been meticulously restored and features a 30.50 CI (500cc) side-valve V-twin, 3-speed hand-shifted gearbox, sprung truss fork and beautiful Indian semi-bucket leather saddle. In 1940, the Junior Scout was again renamed the “Thirty-Fifty,” the same year Indian’s signature sweeping skirted fenders were fitted across its lineup. The “Thirty-Fifty” Scout would then be used as a basis for Indian’s 741 military motorcycle during World War I, while its sibling, the Sport Scout, would live on for over a decade as a champion in professional racing. Ultimately, the Scout line became part of Indian’s unsuccessful transition into a modern, British-inspired manufacturer before the company closed its doors in 1953, but it has found a new life as a central model to the successfully resurrected brand. S125.1 1937 INDIAN JUNIOR SCOUT
