The Chief Roadmaster was the fully dressed, top-of-the-line version of Indian’s postwar Chief. After Indian resumed civilian motorcycle production following World War II, the Roadmaster nameplate appeared on the Chief line by the 1947 model year as the brand’s premium touring-oriented variant, typically equipped for long-distance comfort and heavy chrome trim rather than stripped-down performance. It became closely associated with the final Springfield-era Chiefs and the late evolution of Indian’s big V-twin before the original factory closed. The Roadmaster designation carried through the early 1950s, and the nameplate ended with the last original Indian Chief production in 1953. As a result, this is remembered as one of the most desirable postwar Indian motorcycles and an important marker of the company’s final original-era lineup.
MODEL HISTORY