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The
Ariel Owners Club in their history suggests that In the
1890s there was a a fragmented empire known as Cycle Components
Manufacturing and that Cycle Components were an amalgamation of various
smaller
cycle concerns and were cycle component manufacturers.They go on to say
that the company acquired The Ariel Cycle Company during 1897 and moved
it to the
Dale Road works alongside its core manufacturing business.They conclude
that at this site the first motorised Ariel, a tricycle, was
bulit in 1898 and in
1901 the first Ariel motorcycle, fitted with a Minerva engine of 211cc.
Our
research with a 1899 calogue shows that this may not be correct. In
1899 the company selling cycle accessories was called, The Components
Importing Company Limited and it used the brand name Palace
Accessories. Also trading in 1899 was, The Components Tube Company
Ltd.,manufactures of weldless steel tubes, The Cycle Components
Manuafacturing Company Ltd are shown as cycle parts makers. It would
seem that the importing company was handling all parts bought in and
the manufacturing company were just that and only selling parts that
they manufactured.
More Ariel history to follow
Webmasters note;
Ariel Motors are often the forgotten
company when it comes to Birmingham motorcycle manufacturers but in fact
Ariel were a very innovative forward thinking manufacturer and the
Ariel Square Four, Leader and Arrow are the proof. Ariel will always be
remembered for their two excellent designers Val Page and Edward Turner. Ariel also produced
Jack Sangster, who was probably the only motorcycle entrepreneur who
actually made a fortune from the industry without loosing it!
In the early 60s while en-route to
Lordswood Technical School in Bearwood I used to watch the
testers leaving Grange Road on brand new Leaders and Arrows wishing that
I could have one. Sadly I did not realise I was witnessing the end of a
Birmingham company and the end of the British motorcycle industry. I was
also taking part in a farce, going to a technical school were there
would be little long term future in a technical field. Today the school
no longer carries the title 'technical'.
My first motorcycle, which I acquired by
finding a seemingly abandoned
350 Red Hunter in the Priory Lawn Tennis Club ( just a few miles away
from the factory). I wheeled it back to my house, got a book out of the
library and taught myself to ride it on a local playing field. My
conscience got the better of me and after a week I put it back never to
see it again. Recently I was privileged to own a Trials HT5.
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