A signal contribution to technical motorcycle progress during this period was the introduction of the now familiar three-wheeled vehicle, which was called the Dispatch-Tow.
The initial work on a prototype was said to have been inspired by a conversation between some of Indian's top officials and the management of the Springfield Packard car dealership, whose establishment was then only a few doors away from the Indian factory. These men complained that much employee and service time was wasted in the necessity of having two men pick up and deliver customers' automobiles for repair or routine servicing, in an era when automobiles required more frequent lubrication and running adjustments than is the case today.
Charles Franklin repaired to the drawing board and within a few weeks a prototype was ready for testing. It consisted of a standard 101 Scout fitted with a low compression engine, with two rear wheels set on a differential type axle that were driven by the usual chain and a box body carried between them. A yoke type towing device was fitted to the front axle, its forward end fitted with a clamp for attachment to the car's rear bumper.
When the vehicle was driven under its own power, the tow bar was swung upward and fixed in a vertical position parallel to the fork legs. The practical use of this handy three-wheeler was that one man could ride it to its destination, pick up the automobile, return to the shop, and deliver it back in the same manner.
Announcements describing the new machine were placed in a number of automotive trade journals, some of them featuring it in company with a luxurious Pierce Arrow sedan.
Also offered for sale along with the vehicle was a smartly custom fitted chauffeur's uniform for the operator, at a price of $ 25.00. The Dispatch-Tow was well received by automobile dealers and nearly 400 of them were sold the first season. Harley-Davidson, taking the cue from Indian, offered their own version the following year, based on their 45 cubic inch WL twin.
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