 | |
| Industry | Manufacturing and engineering |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1902 |
| Defunct | 1970 |
| Fate | Sold to BSA and discontinued |
| Successor | BSA |
| Headquarters | Bournbrook, Birmingham |
Key people | Jack Sangster, Edward Turner and Val Page |
| Products | 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.