Whatever Happened To Ariel Motorcycles?

When people talk about the history of British motorcycles, the conversation is typically dominated by names like Norton, Vincent, and Triumph. One name that should get more mentions among those iconic companies is Ariel Motorcycles, which ranked among the most recognizable brands in the U.K. for the better part of the 20th Century. Like many motorcycle manufacturers of the era, Ariel rose to prominence making bicycles, producing James Starley's legendary "Ordinary Ariel" high bicycle, beginning in 1871. 

Though the company continued manufacturing bicycles until the 1930s, Ariel pivoted to motorized vehicles by the turn of the century, releasing a Tricycle and Quadricycle operated by internal combustion engines in 1898 and 1900, respectively. Ariel got into the two-wheel motorcycle game with the release of the Minerva in 1901.

After some early success, Ariel paused production on leisure bikes during World War I, with the company focusing on making motorcycles for the U.K. war effort. In the post-war landscape, Ariel got back into the business of producing stylish, innovative bikes. After being purchased by BSA in 1951 (amid a spending spree that also saw the company snatch up Triumph), Ariel continued to produce motorcycles through most of the 1960s. Ariel officially ceased production of motorcycles by that decade's end, however, joining the list of classic bike brands that no longer exist. Here's what happened to Ariel Motorcycles.

Ariel was arguably at the height of its power between the 1930s and 1950s, producing bikes from future Triumph designers Edward Turner, Val Page, and Bert Hopwood. During their time with Ariel, those motorcycle legends delivered some of the company's best models, including the Red Hunter, the Huntmaster, and its revolutionary Square 4. As those bikes held their own on roadways, raceways, and trailways, Ariel was primed for a lengthy run at the forefront of the U.K. motorcycle market. However, in 1958, the failure of Page's pseudo-scooter-motorcycle hybrid, The Leader, may have inadvertently signaled the beginning of the end for Ariel's motorcycle division.

The Leader was actually named 1959's "Machine of the Year" by Motorcycle News, but it never sold as expected and proved a significant setback for Ariel. The rise of compact automobiles in the U.K. was undoubtedly a factor in the failure of The Leader as it was — along with an influx of Japanese bikes — both of which likely contributed to a downturn in the country's homemade motorcycle market. Ariel essentially abandoned the motorcycle game in 1967, though the Ariel name was revived a few years later, with its parent company BSA releasing the limited Healey Square 4 in 1971.

Unfortunately, with interest already flagging in Ariel bikes, only 28 Healey Square 4s were made, the last of which was produced in 1977. Oddly enough, the Ariel name was revived one final time in 1991, with Ariel Motor Company Ltd. The companies share little more than a name, however, as AMC Ltd. (apart from the Ariel Ace motorcycle) focuses on high-performance race cars. Even as proper Ariel bikes are no longer being made, they remain coveted on the vintage motorcycle market.