Ariel Factory Despatch records

[jehagadone]

uk,
Thanks for the notes.
My town had a Triumph, BSA, Norton dealer in the 60's and early 70's.
Ariel was gone by then, never saw one in the 60's or 70's.
They may have been to small to have a dealer network in usa, perhaps LA, Chicago, New York.
I ordered the dispatch record for my 52, will be interesting.

J

[jehagadone]

Roger,
Thanks for despatching my 52 Ariel four despatch record.
The Ariel was despatched from the UK to the Rich Child company in New Jersey on February 5, 1952
Rich Child worked for Harley Davidson before the war.
Following the war Child founded the Rich Child Cycle Company a distributor of BSA, Sunbeam and apparently Ariel motorcycles.
The 52 Ariel four was owned by two Nebraska farmers.
Unknown if the Nebraska farmer ordered the Ariel from Rich Child in New Jersey, 1300 miles from New Jersey to Nebraska.

1952 Ariel £336 = uk £12115(2024)
1952 Ariel $1288 = $15174(2024) + shipping
1952 panhead $970 = $11432(2024)

[jehagadone]

Roger,
Did all Ariels despatched to usa go to the Rich Child company in New Jersey ?
There was an Ariel dealer in a small town in Nebraska during the 50's (experts in Nebraska report).

[Roger Gwynn]

No, I have details of several dealers and I am pretty certain that before Johnson's became big that the bikes were despatched to individual dealers. At some point Johnson's became the importer, at least for the West Coast. Later when BSA set up their own company in the East at Nutley they also imported Ariels and later took over from Johnson's on the West Coast. Here is a list of the ones that I know about, unfortunately i have not recorded dates.
British and American Motors, California, U.S.A.
BSA Inc., 639 Passaic Avenue, Nutley 10, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Jonas B Cglaend & Co., 15 Moore Street, New York, U.S.A.
The Rich Child Co., New Jersey, U.S.A.
Johnson Motors Inc., 267 West Colorado Street, Pasadena 1, California, U.S.A.
Johnson Motors Inc., New York, U.S.A.
Johnson Motors Inc., Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Johnson Motors Inc., Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Johnson Motors Inc., New Orleans, Mississippi, U.S.A.
Otto C Ling & Son Inc., New York, U.S.A.
Emil Metzler, U.S.A.
Pink and Voichick Inc., New York, U.S.A.
Reggie Pink Inc., New York, U.S.A.
Schubert’s Cyclery Store, 815-9 South King Street, Honolulu, USA

British and American Motors, if I remember correctly was a predecessor to Johnson's