1949 Chief Production Numbers

[Mark Jennings]

Does anyone know just how many 49 Chiefs were produced? I am just curious. Thanks in advance. Mark.

[tfburke3]

According to Hatfields Resto Guide 49 chiefs were not mass produced,with only a very few produced in hand clutch and footshift configuration,with one bieng photographate at an El paso Texas dealership.
Tom
.

[c.o.]

I've never seen an actual production number for '49. My understanding is the same as what Tom posted. A "very few" were produced.

[rwar]

And none are known to still exist, I read recently.

[c.o.]

On a road trip a couple years back I was approached at a vintage rally and asked if I knew anything about Indians. The fella told me that he was on the pursuit of a 1949 Chief. I remember the blood pressure rising and asked him how sure he was about it being a '49? He told me that he had seen it a couple of years prior and had asked an Indian guy in "the know" and he said he confirmed that the numbers lined up. I'm afraid though that I've lost touch with the dude and the trail has gone cold for the time being. I believe some years back there was an article on the '49 models in the club magazine.

[Mark Jennings]

Thanks for all the replies. I was having a conversation with a freind the other day on this subject and figured I would ask here to see if anyone knew. I did recently see a lower fork assembly for a 1949 Chief. It was different than a 50-53 because the headlight bracket was a bolt on style, the same type as the verticals, not cast as part of the tree like a 50-53.
It was definatally not a vertical part.
Mark.

[exeric]

The janitor at a company I used to work at claimed he had owned a '49 Chief still in the crate. He also owned a camping trailer that supposedly belonged to Queen Elizabeth which she used when she would visit America. He also claimed to have a 1910 Harley that he only used for errands to the the Quicky Mart, because it wasn't licensed.

[Mark Jennings]

That is funny that he had all those items worth an incredible amount of money but he worked as a janitor. I have learned over the years that folks like that just like to have a story to tell so it gives them a reason to have a conversation.

I had a simular situation of a guy near my home who claimed he sold a 1915 Harley in the crate at Daytona for $100,000 yet he lived in a run down trailer. Your janitor may be telling the truth but this guy was just an idiot.