Ariel Motorcycles

Ariel Motorcycles was a British maker of bicycles and then motorcycles in Bournbrook, Birmingham. It was an innovator in British motorcycling, part of the Ariel marque. The company was sold to BSA in 1951, but the brand survived until 1967. Influential Ariel designers included Val Page and Edward Turner. The last motorcycle-type vehicle to carry the Ariel name was a short-lived three-wheel tilting moped in 1970.

Ariel made bicycles before making motorcycles, and also made cars. Car production began in 1902, moved to Coventry in 1911, and ceased in 1925.

The 'Ariel' name was reused in 1999 for the formation of Ariel Ltd, a sports car producer.

History

Bicycles and early motorised vehicles

The original company was established in 1870 by James Starley and William Hillman. They built wire-spoke wheels under the first British patent; this allowed them also to build a lighter "penny-farthing" bicycle which they named 'Ariel' (the spirit of the air).

Cars

Cars were produced over two periods: from 1902 to 1915, and again from 1922 to 1925. The first proper Ariel car was a 10 hp twin-cylinder car produced in 1902.[11] In 1903 its first four-cylinder was a 15/19 model.[11][12] Both these vehicles had a leather cone clutch that was entirely separate from the flywheel. In 1904 the 15HP car had the distinction of being the first motor car to ascend Snowdon, albeit using the mountain railway trackbed which has long stretches of 1 in 5 gradient.[13] In early 1904, Ariel began production of a six-cylinder model[14] built on a seemingly inadequate tubular steel chassis.

An entirely new range was announced at the end of 1905; called the 'Ariel-Simplex', these cars were Mercedes-inspired four-cylinder designs[14] of 15 hp and 25/30 hp and a six of 35/40 hp. In 1907–1908 the company began production of their 50/60 hp six, which offered a 15.9-litre engine[14] for a chassis price of £950. In 1907 Ariel sold its Birmingham factory to the French Lorraine-Dietrich company, who wanted to enter the British market; Ariel cars were thereafter assembled at the Coventry Ordnance Works, a branch of Cammell Laird.[15] The arrangement with Lorraine-Dietrich was cancelled in 1910. Production of a 1.3-litre light car ended with the outbreak of World War I.

Ariel resumed making motor cars in 1922[14] when it launched the Ariel Nine light car. The Nine had a 997 cc water-cooled side-valve flat twin engine with "square" dimensions of 85 mm bore and 85 mm stroke made by A Harper Sons & Bean, Ltd of Dudley. The Nine was designed by Jack Sangster, the son of Ariel's owner, who had designed the similar, but air-cooled, twin-cylinder Rover 8 when he worked for Rover.

The Nine was capable of 55 mph and about 700 were made. However, the engine was vibratory and noisy, so in 1924 Ariel discontinued the model and replaced it with the 10 hp (RAC) car.[14][16]

The "Ten" had a 1097 cc four-cylinder Q-Type engine[17] made by the Swift Motor Company. Unlike the Nine it was a long-stroke engine, with a bore of only 60 mm and stroke of 97 mm. The Ten had a gearbox combined with the rear axle. The car was advertised at £180 for the chassis, and about 250 were made. In 1925 Ariel discontinued car production to concentrate on motorcycles.[17]

fate	Sold to BSA and discontinued
successor	BSA
foundation	1902
defunct	1970
location	Bournbrook, Birmingham
industry	Manufacturing and engineering
key people	Jack Sangster, Edward Turner and Val Page
products	motorcycles

History

Bicycles and early motorised vehicles

Components Ltd.

Ariel Motors

BSA

Two-strokes and demise

Later use of the Ariel name

Gallery

Famous models

Cars

Car Models

See also

External links

References