1914/1920 Ariel 5/6hp, Registration no. AT 2112 Frame no. 5595 Engine no. A9306 (see text)

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1914/1920 Ariel 5/6hp
Registration no. AT 2112
Frame no. 5595
Engine no. A9306 (see text)
A firm with its roots in the cycle industry, Ariel exhibited its first powered two-wheeler in 1901, employing a 211cc, 1.5hp, Minerva engine. Ariel's own power unit followed in 1903, but the Birmingham firm continued to rely mainly on proprietary engines, the 4hp, single-cylinder, White & Poppe sidevalve being a fixture of the range well into the 1920s, by which time Ariel had taken over its production themselves. Ariel's first v-twin (powered by a 6hp JAP) was built in 1905 to contest the International Auto Cycle Cup Race on the Isle of Man, and a production version was made available for the following season. Its next venture along twin-cylinder lines was a White & Poppe-engined sidecar tug produced briefly before being replaced for 1914 by a new model powered by a 5/6hp Abingdon motor. The latter was superseded after 1919 by an improved version using a more powerful 6/7hp (795cc) engine from the same manufacturer, this being built alongside a similar 8hp model with Swiss MAG v-twin engine.

A copy of the original registration records on file shows that this Ariel twin was first registered on 16th May 1914. Beautifully restored, the machine features a Lucas magneto, Amac carburettor, sprung saddle, two toolboxes, three-speed gearbox, and a foot-operated clutch. Accompanying documentation consists of a copy V5, old/current V5C documents, and an expired MoT (2010). It should be noted that the engine dates from circa 1920 and that the registration documents still record the original engine number, 'A5515'.