Ariel was a bicycle, motorcycle and automobile marque manufacturer based in Birmingham. Car production moved to Coventry in 1911 and the company name was reused in 1999 for the formation of Ariel Ltd, a sports car producer. The company dates back to 1847 when Ariel made an early pneumatic-tyred wheel for horse drawn carriages. The name was revived by James Starley and William Hillman in 1870 when they invented the wire-spoke wheel which allowed them to build a lighter weight bicycle and named it Ariel (the spirit of the air).They put the name on the factory where they made penny-farthing bicycles and sewing machines. In 1885 John Kemp Starley invented the Rover safety bicycle, a rearwheel-drive, chain-driven bicycle with two similar-sized wheels, which is essentially the design still used on bicycles today. Use of the name lapsed but in 1896 it appeared again, this time on motorised transport. The first Ariel vehicle was a Tricycle that used a 2.25hp De Dion engine mounted at the rear. More tricycles were produced and motorised quadricycles were added in 1901 as Ariel then moved into car production. In 1902, Components Ltd., owned by Charles Sangster, bought the company and began producing motorcycles, but the company suffered several financial crises including spells in receivership in 1911 and the early 1930s. In 1932, Components Ltd went bankrupt, and Jack Sangster, Charles Sangster's son, bought the Ariel subsidiary from the receivers at a bargain price. The company was renamed Ariel Motors (J.S.) Ltd, and promptly resumed production.In 1954, Ariel produced the 650 Huntmaster, the engine was based on the BSA 650 A10 and shared many internal components. Released for the 1954 season, the Ariel Huntmaster was well received by both the public and press. The finish was considered to be better than that of its BSA cousin and overall the machine was described as being equipped with 'First class steering and braking' when tested by 'The Motor Cycle' who also commented favourably on its 80mph cruising potential. The Huntmaster continued in production with only a small number of changes until Ariel ceased production of the four stroke engine in 1958. This Ariel Huntmaster was restored to a very high standard in 1994 and has remained largely unused since. First registered 17 th June 1958, the last year of production and with the much improved 650cc twin cylinder engine, the current vendor describes the bike as a joy to ride. Supplied with a V5 registration document together with an MoT test certificate valid until September 2012, this Ariel Huntmaster could represent a sound future investment at an affordable price.
Ariel was a bicycle, motorcycle and automobile marque manufacturer based in Birmingham. Car production moved to Coventry in 1911 and the company name was reused in 1999 for the formation of Ariel Ltd, a sports car producer. The company dates back to 1847 when Ariel made an early pneumatic-tyred wheel for horse drawn carriages. The name was revived by James Starley and William Hillman in 1870 when they invented the wire-spoke wheel which allowed them to build a lighter weight bicycle and named it Ariel (the spirit of the air).They put the name on the factory where they made penny-farthing bicycles and sewing machines. In 1885 John Kemp Starley invented the Rover safety bicycle, a rearwheel-drive, chain-driven bicycle with two similar-sized wheels, which is essentially the design still used on bicycles today. Use of the name lapsed but in 1896 it appeared again, this time on motorised transport. The first Ariel vehicle was a Tricycle that used a 2.25hp De Dion engine mounted at the rear. More tricycles were produced and motorised quadricycles were added in 1901 as Ariel then moved into car production. In 1902, Components Ltd., owned by Charles Sangster, bought the company and began producing motorcycles, but the company suffered several financial crises including spells in receivership in 1911 and the early 1930s. In 1932, Components Ltd went bankrupt, and Jack Sangster, Charles Sangster's son, bought the Ariel subsidiary from the receivers at a bargain price. The company was renamed Ariel Motors (J.S.) Ltd, and promptly resumed production.In 1954, Ariel produced the 650 Huntmaster, the engine was based on the BSA 650 A10 and shared many internal components. Released for the 1954 season, the Ariel Huntmaster was well received by both the public and press. The finish was considered to be better than that of its BSA cousin and overall the machine was described as being equipped with 'First class steering and braking' when tested by 'The Motor Cycle' who also commented favourably on its 80mph cruising potential. The Huntmaster continued in production with only a small number of changes until Ariel ceased production of the four stroke engine in 1958. This Ariel Huntmaster was restored to a very high standard in 1994 and has remained largely unused since. First registered 17 th June 1958, the last year of production and with the much improved 650cc twin cylinder engine, the current vendor describes the bike as a joy to ride. Supplied with a V5 registration document together with an MoT test certificate valid until September 2012, this Ariel Huntmaster could represent a sound future investment at an affordable price.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
