| Magazine Columns - Retrospect | ||
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Retrospect - Spring, 1983 In the background, behind the scene was her husband, Charles Manthos. Charles was totally different and we had several deep conversations over the years. Charles visited me here in Torrington, Connecticut, and he even made detail drawings of my mail delivery car, hoping to reproduce one for the museum. He promised to get me a copy of a picture of Charles Gustafson Sr. which hangs in his and Estha's museum but he died before he was able to do so. There are lots of pictures of Charles Gustafson Jr. but none of Senior except that one in the museum. The reason I wanted a picture of him is that I feel he is very under appreciated for what he did in respect to the side valve motor used by Indian since 1916 and the motor we enjoy in our Indian 101 Scouts. Twenty five years ago Dr. Harry Sucher reported in our magazine on his visit to Springfield. In this report he wrote some about Charles Manthos' work on a prototype Indian Chief which Charles had shown to me a few times. There was much in Dr. Sucher's article that I didn't know and should be brought out. Quoting Dr. Sucher, "It may be recalled that during 1975 and 1976 news was forthcoming that Manthos was engaged in the building of a prototype Chief in Springfield, with the help and advice of several veteran Indian employees, the most prominent of which were former Production Foreman, Ernie Armstrong, and Engineering Department's James (Jimmy) Hill. By 1977 Manthos had announced that he and his compatriots had evolved what they considered to be a suitably modernized Chief that could be successfully manufactured and marketed, once production facilities could be set in motion."  In 1982 Charles Manthos and one Carmen DeLeone, now owner of the Indian trademark got together but couldn't work out the details. Charles wanted a replica type with modern features, DeLeone wanted a modernized version and there the matter seems to end. There is news about the Indian museum. Estha fell and broke her hip some time ago and the museum has been closed. There was no Indian Day last year. The good news reported in the editor's page of the December, 2007, issue of The Motorcyclist's Post is that Estha Manthos has donated the contents of her museum to a new location at 84 Edwards Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. At this time everything has been moved to the new location and Estha will be there several days each week and, there will be a 2008 Indian Day.
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