DUJ 39C Ariel Leader

[TraceyH]

Hi folks …. Noobie here!

Tracey and Jof - we live in Adelaide, Australia. Emigrated from Yorkshire in 2007.
Recently purchased a stunning Leader in great condition and trying to hunt any history on it.
Original UK reg was DUJ 39C - we still have the number plate and a few old tax discs.

Anyone know much about it? I’ll post what I know below.

Note: I have also posted on some FB -Ariel/Leader pages, so if you’ve replied there, no need to double-up.

What I know so far:
1964 sold by Abrahams of Market Drayton
2007 owned by Keith Parker (London)
2008 owned by Richard Hosking (Yeovil)
?? Exported to Australia with a collection of British bikes inc 2 other Ariels for a museum in Victoria
2023 sold to Peter Friend (Adelaide)
2024 sold to us
Has 1900 miles on the clock, with 2007 MOT mileage recorded as 1550, so it’s not done much in recent years.

[Roger Gwynn]

Welcome to the forum and the world of Ariels.
I am the keeper of the club's machine register that records details and the history of all extant Ariels. I would love to add yours to the register if it isn't already on there. No current record under the registration or any of the names you mention but I may only have the engine and frame numbers listed, which are the main identifying features, owners and registrations change and are not always supplied.
The bike looks very nice although a somewhat unconventional colour, I hope you manage to put more miles on it and enjoy riding it.

[JohnnyBeckett]

hi , welcome to the forum i like the colours i think it suits the Leader makes it looks more classic

[TraceyH]

Welcome to the forum and the world of Ariels.
I am the keeper of the club's machine register that records details and the history of all extant Ariels. I would love to add yours to the register if it isn't already on there. No current record under the registration or any of the names you mention but I may only have the engine and frame numbers listed, which are the main identifying features, owners and registrations change and are not always supplied.
The bike looks very nice although a somewhat unconventional colour, I hope you manage to put more miles on it and enjoy riding it.

Engine & frame numbers are T34817B (matching). Happy to provide any info needed to update your records.
My understanding is this bike was originally Green & Ivory when built by Ariel. I’ve been told that was British racing green.

[Roger Gwynn]

Thank you for the additional information, your Leader has now been added to the register. The bike was originally destined for J E Green, & Co., of Newton Abbot in Devon and is listed as despatched to them on 13th November 1964 and returned 31st May 1965, it was then despatched to Abraham's of Market Drayton on 16th June 1965. It would have been built at the BSA factory of Small Heath as all production had been moved there by then and is listed as being in green. I had forgotten that a few 1965 Leaders were supposedly painted in a metallic red or green, I have never seen one and the metallic bit has not been confirmed, I don't suppose that there is any original paint left on your bike. DUJ is a Shropshire number first issued in April 1965. There were only approximately 195 Leaders built in 1965 out of a total of approximately 915 2 strokes. My researches have the date that the last Leader to leave the factory was on the 4th of June, yours has that beaten by 12 days, but I missed yours because its' despatch was delayed and the entry is 18 pages before the end of the book. The last despatched is not the same as the last one built, in fact there are roughly 700 bikes with a higher number then yours. The last 2 stroke was a 200 Arrow on the 11th of August.

[keith.mettam]

Hi Tracey,
Your Leader is still shown on the UK DVLA system as follows :-
DUJ 39C
✓ SORN
Vehicle Details
Vehicle make ARIEL
Date of first registration June 1965
Year of manufacture 1965
Cylinder capacity 250 cc
CO₂ emissions Not available
Fuel type PETROL
Euro status Not available
Real Driving Emissions (RDE) Not available
Export marker Yes
Vehicle status SORN
Vehicle colour GREEN
Vehicle type approval Not available
Wheelplan 2 WHEEL
Revenue weight Not available
Date of last V5C (logbook) issued 17 October 2011
View the tax rates for this vehicle
If you have the latest 11 digit reference number from the V5C registration certificate (logbook) you can view the tax rates for this vehicle.

Best wishes and a Happy New Year,
Keith.

[TraceyH]

Thank you for the additional information, your Leader has now been added to the register. The bike was originally destined for J E Green, & Co., of Newton Abbot in Devon and is listed as despatched to them on 13th November 1964 and returned 31st May 1965, it was then despatched to Abraham's of Market Drayton on 16th June 1965. It would have been built at the BSA factory of Small Heath as all production had been moved there by then and is listed as being in green. I had forgotten that a few 1965 Leaders were supposedly painted in a metallic red or green, I have never seen one and the metallic bit has not been confirmed, I don't suppose that there is any original paint left on your bike. DUJ is a Shropshire number first issued in April 1965. There were only approximately 195 Leaders built in 1965 out of a total of approximately 915 2 strokes. My researches have the date that the last Leader to leave the factory was on the 4th of June, yours has that beaten by 12 days, but I missed yours because its' despatch was delayed and the entry is 18 pages before the end of the book. The last despatched is not the same as the last one built, in fact there are roughly 700 bikes with a higher number then yours. The last 2 stroke was a 200 Arrow on the 11th of August.

Thank you! This is fascinating information!
I have been given info about from a previous owner, Keith Parker, that said the opriginal Ariel colour was British Racing Green & Ivory (provided to him by Ralph Hawkins of AOMCC?).

[TraceyH]

Hi Tracey,
Your Leader is still shown on the UK DVLA system as follows :-
DUJ 39C
✓ SORN
Vehicle Details
Vehicle make ARIEL
Date of first registration June 1965
Year of manufacture 1965
Cylinder capacity 250 cc
CO₂ emissions Not available
Fuel type PETROL
Euro status Not available
Real Driving Emissions (RDE) Not available
Export marker Yes
Vehicle status SORN
Vehicle colour GREEN
Vehicle type approval Not available
Wheelplan 2 WHEEL
Revenue weight Not available
Date of last V5C (logbook) issued 17 October 2011
View the tax rates for this vehicle
If you have the latest 11 digit reference number from the V5C registration certificate (logbook) you can view the tax rates for this vehicle.

Best wishes and a Happy New Year,
Keith.

Interesting that the last V5C is Oct 2011 - we thought it was brought into Australia in 2008, but maybe it was later then? Assuming no need for any UK paperwork once it was exported to Australia. We have the list of bikes exported at the same time, but no date on the list, so unsure when it happenend.

[Roger Gwynn]

Ralph was the fount of all knowledge, thing is any green on a British vehicle tends to be British Racing Green! I have never seen a catalogue from the period or anything else to give any information about the colours. There is a pamphlet for the 200 Arrows that lists available colours as Ivory with Aircraft Blue or BRG, so Ralph was probably right.

[Julian Murphy]

Who is keeping the SORN upto date?

Has to be either 'taxed' (on the road) or SORNed once a year.

Or, DVLA get stroppy.