New owner has answers and some questions about his 1959 Indian Patrol Car

The Royal Enfield based Indian Patrol Car offered on eBay recently finally went to Bill Erickson of Oswego, Ill. If anyone out there is an expert on these very rare, 1950s Bullet-engined three-wheelers, he could use some information.

For starters, does the number 1033 on the left crankcase tell him anything useful?

Bill was kind enough to pass along some information on his purchase:

"This patrol car came from a farm in Western Ohio and had been there for quite some time. At one time (probably many years ago) the father and son decided to try and restore it. They took a bunch of parts off of it and then the father died.

"This should be quite a project. I am going to be struggling to figure out where everything goes and which pieces are missing on mine. At this point I am going to see if I can attempt to collect the missing parts and start on a restoration."

Bill noted that I was incorrect when I guessed (based on pictures) that the Patrol Car has no rear suspension and might not have a differential.

"First, there is a bit of suspension on the back — there are two adjustable shock absorbers. See attached pictures:

"Also, there does appear to be a differential on the rear drive as both wheels can spin independently. This should make cornering much easier :)"

Here's some history on Indian Patrol Cars, built in England from Royal Enfield Bullets

A Royal Enfield based Indian Patrol Car is back on the market.

"Yes, after looking at all of the missing pieces I decided it was too big of a project for me, given that I don't have a machine shop readily accessible," Bill Erickson told me.

The 1959 three-wheeler, built by Pashley in England, powered by a Royal Enfield Bullet motor, and sold in the United States as an Indian, is now in Oswego, Ill. Asking price is $4,500.

The sale prompted Richard McLeish of the UK to offer some information about the history of Indian Patrol Cars. He owns one. His Patrol Car was imported into the United States and made the return trip to the home country.

McLeish's Patrol Car. The spotlights are genuine
period Indian sealed beam accessories.

"I doubt if they were ever expected to get above about 30 mph, just pootle around in town," McLeish writes. "Did you know that these had a three-speed-and-reverse gearbox, with hand change and foot throttle? Makes for interesting driving."

Reverse? But how do you get reverse out of what looks like an ordinary Albion gearbox, I asked.

"The reverse gear is indeed fitted into the basic Bullet four speed gearbox design," he replied. "The gear case was modified, with a bulge on the back wall creating the extra space necessary to incorporate the extra shaft and cog required, and the 'box then effectively had reverse where first used to be; then N-1-2-3.

"I presume that hand change was required to help prevent changing from forward into reverse whilst in motion. This was done by using a gate arrangement bolted to the right-hand side of the tank. The change linkage actually goes via the gear indicator mechanism, nothing is connected to where the foot-change pedal is located on a conventional two-wheeler...."

Does his Patrol Car have a differential? Unclear, McLeish advises.

"The parts book I have shows two different designs of rear axle for Pashleys, and the illustrations for the type on my machine omit the final drive arrangement completely... It certainly drives as if the axle is rigid, I can vouch for that. The steering damper is very necessary!"

McLeish thinks a reference I found on the Internet to a shaft-drive Royal Enfield Pashley is mistaken. There is no mention of shaft drive in the parts book, he writes. (Update: But see Jorge Pullin's My Royal Enfields blog, which has a clipping explaining the shaft-drive system!)

Other elements varied. "The Indian models generally seem to have had the wide forks also used on the Enfield Indian Chief, along with the associated spoked 16-inch front wheel — certainly brochures and advertisements show them thus. Mine, however, has the narrower standard motorcycle forks and 19-inch wheel used on some other Pashleys.... It came from the U.S. like that, and was titled in the U.S. as a 1958, whereas Indian listed them only for 1959. Lucas parts on it are marked 1958, so I can only assume it was a very early version....

"Exactly how many were made is not known, but certainly more than most people seem to think. Fifty-two were reported as going to the Toronto Police; whether these were Pashleys or Indians, I don't know....

"As to survivors... I personally know of 10 extant, though not necessarily complete, and have recorded reports of several more, though I do not know how many of these latter are Indian Patrol Cars, as opposed to Pashley Enfields.

"The Pashley company is still trading, and are renowned in the cycling world. The current management bought the business out from the Pashley family years ago; regrettably, they are unable to help with any information on these old clunkers."

What are the old clunker's worth? McLeish points out that there is a nice, running, 1959 Patrol Car for sale in St. Paul, Minn. Asking price is $20,000. The pictures provided in that ad illustrate the shifting mechanism nicely, and also the unadorned tail of the Indian Patrol Car.

Rare Indian Patrol Car is a Royal Enfield up front, but the rest is all Indian, he says

"THIS IS NOT A PASHLEY," asserts the eBay ad for a 1959 Indian Patrol Car. "Documented."

Although they are super rare, a number of these fascinating, Royal Enfield based Indian Patrol Cars have come up for sale recently. I've assumed that they were made by Pashley in Great Britain, and shipped to the U.S. for sale as Indians, like the rest of the Royal Enfield line in 1955 to 1959.

I asked the John, the seller who says his Patrol Car is not a Pashley, for details. He replied:

"I have the factory paper work and manual to show it is a Indian Patrol Car with the factory sale brochure, and the title says Indian. I know who ordered it. I am the second owner. The Pashley has a different tank and has box rails."

Certainly there are differences between the Indian Patrol Cars we've seen advertised for sale in the United States and pictures of Pashleys found on the Internet. The Pashley three-wheelers seem to have come in a range of designs.

The Indian Patrol Cars seem to share one design, and it looks less sophisticated than some Pashleys. Is the rear end shown in John's ad just the same Patrol Car frame and box Indian was using before it began rebadging Royal Enfields?

In any case, three speeds and reverse seems to be the standard transmission. John's ad gives us a nice look at the linkage for the tank shift.

Royal Enfield built Indian Patrol Car looks different

Royal Enfield-built Indian Patrol Car of the 1950s with custom look.

A three-wheeled Royal Enfield-built Indian Patrol Car is for sale on eBay in El Paso, Texas. It's a fine looking machine but its custom details and the seller's lack of information about it means this probably will only add to the lore about these rare machines.

It's obvious from the pictures that this is a Royal Enfield Bullet single-cylinder motorcycle with the Albion four-speed transmission converted to provide three forward speeds and reverse with a tank shifter.

Side view shows it has chain drive.

The frame looks much like those on other Patrol Cars.

But the seller, Barnett Harley-Davidson, knows only that it is blue. The ad also advises that the "previous owner bought it 34 years ago, said it was a factory-built trike. 500cc with .020 over piston and rings. Three-speed, reverse, hand shift. Springer front end is from a WL Harley. Wheel spindles changed to Chevrolet five-lug, for 14-inch rear wheels."


Royal Enfield Bullet motor and Albion transmission are seen.

 The machine sports a pick-up style box, wide rear tires and a front tow rod, none of which looks like standard equipment.

It is advertised as a 1951, but Royal Enfields badged as Indians only appeared in the United States from 1955 to 1960.

Precise information may be lacking but it is interesting to look at the photographs in the ad. So many Royal Enfield Indian Patrol Cars appear for sale in rough condition. Here is one that looks great.

It's not original, but it is pretty.