1904 Ariel at auction

[Dave.Barkshire]

https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/32042/ ... -no-a1345/

[adrie.degraaff]

Altough a nice Ariel i have to say what you're buying.
Not Ariel; brake, mudguards, stand-carrier, beltrim and the way it's connected.
The frame number is March 1909 but it's built up as 1904.
The 1909 frontforks dusn't have the supports, you can see they are added later.
Without the framenumber the frame is giving away the year, the lower headstocklug is heavier and stronger than 1904.
There is more but that would be nitpicking.

My name is mentioned but the VMCC and others involved have a letter from me how the dating works.
Again Frame no. 93501 is; year, mont and the 501 is counting up until 1910, so there are only 501 Ariels built up to this one.

The bolt in the crankcase is for the TDC timing, put a rod in the hole and in the crank.
The cap on the cam-axel is for cam timing wich you can adjust outside.

[adrie.degraaff]

I have to ad something to avoid discussion.

The engine no. A.1345 is of a 1908 Ariel, the engine no. of this 1909 Ariel should be A.1348, so only 3 numbers differend in 5 or 6 monts.
The 1909 engine is in the Netherlands, Mr. Plant swapped them.
As i don't have my documentation anymore it's all from memory .

The famous 1904 Ariel of Charles Godfrey who won a lot of awards in pre 1905 runs was also made in 1909 and altered to be a 1904, it's also in the Netherlands now and maybe forsale soon.
I wonder how many pre 1905 and 1915 motorcycles are later?

[TonyBaxter]

Sold £12,075 including premium.

[adrie.degraaff]

There are 2 Ariels unsold that would be unthinkeble 20 years ago, i was prepaired to pay 10.000 pounds for the 1903-1904 J.A.P. engine alone.