Newly Discovered Footage Highlights 'World's Fastest Indian'
Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand
If I said the name Burt Munro to you, I would likely get one of two reactions.
“Who?” or “The World’s Fastest Indian guy?”
The memory of Burt Munro still lingers at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Tai Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The latter is correct. The 68-year-old New Zealander set a world land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967 on his heavily modified streamlined 1920 Indian and was immortalized in the 2005 movie starring Anthony Hopkins.
Burt Munro's Indian Special replica from The World's Fastest Indian. Midnight bird, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Some recently found footage, no, not like Archive 81 or the Blair Witch Project, adds a bit more character and depth to the Munro’s story. It was uncovered during research for the 90th anniversary of E Hayes and Sons department store in Invercargill, NZ. Irving Hayes financially backed Munro’s world speed record quest at Bonneville.
This article from Stuff has the details.
You wouldn’t normally associate a legendary motorcycle figure with a department store, but speed sometimes makes strange bedfellows.
The 2005 movie starred Anthony Hopkins. IMDB
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29 months ago
@Falcon-45 I bet you wish you still had that bike. Or do you? I love it when I see people of a certain 'vintage' riding. I think it's cool.
30 months ago
My first motorcycle was a 1937 Indian scout I was 14 now I am 73 and still love the ride.