1941 Indian Dispatch Tow

Post Sale Update: After 38 bids on eBay, this Dispatch Tow sold for $40,000.

According to The Iron Redskin, the Indian Dispatch Tow was built to fix a problem that a Packard dealership was having near the Indian plant. The dealer wanted a way to deliver customer cars without requiring an additional employee with a car to go alongside. While that story is probably fiction, Indian developed a nifty solution.

What was the solution? A 3 wheeler with a tow bar on the front. Now a dealer (or repair shop) would just send one employee out, who would drive the customer’s car with the Indian in tow. After dropping off the customer’s car, the employee could hop on the Dispatch Tow and ride back to the shop. This was possible thanks to a tow bar that flipped down from the front of the bike and secured onto a car’s rear bumper. For more on the Dispatch Tow, check out this profile from Motorcycle Classics.

This bike (VIN: 6411376) was acquired in 2005 and then went through a 4 year restoration in which the engine and transmission were restored, the generator was rebuilt, and the voltage regulator was replaced with a modern unit. Just 12 miles have been put on the bike since. In the seller’s words, “every aspect of this rare bike is mint.” This bike stands out from other models thanks to a reverse gear, a NOS tow box, the functional tow bar in good shape (many have not survived), and a speedo with a max speed needle.