Description
National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
26th Mar 2025 - 9:00AM
1932 Ariel Square Four
Early 600cc OHC project
Estimate
£1, 000 - £2, 000
Registration No: GW 8492
Frame No: T1694
MOT: Exempt
Early OHC 600cc Square Four project
A challenging rebuild or parts bike
Supplied with a dating letter and a V5C
Like many British motorcycle companies, Ariel began producing bicycles in the late 1800s eventually progressing onto motorcycles in 1902. After a typically rocky few years for manufacturers in the early part of the century, the company was bought by Jack Sangster from the receivers at a bargain price in the early 1930s. The company was renamed Ariel Motors (J. S.) Ltd, and promptly resumed production in a new factory in Selly Oak Birmingham. One of their first bikes produced was the Ariel Square Four designed by Edward Turner, who at the time was looking for work and showing drawings of his engine designs to various motorcycle manufacturers. The design was rejected by BSA but adopted by Ariel, becoming their prestige model for the next 30 years. In the days of predominately single-cylinder engines a square four layout was very advanced and the bike stayed in production until the late 1950s. The engine was initially a 500cc with overhead cams and was essentially a pair of across-frame parallel twins joined by their geared central flywheels before being bored out to 600cc in 1932. A very expensive engine to produce, it was given a major revamp in 1939 to become an easier to manufacture 1000cc motor with overhead valves (OHV) in place of the overhead cams (OHC).
This Square Four project has been part of an enthusiast small private collection of this rare and extremely collectible model. According to records supplied by the Ariel Owner's Club, it was despatched to Rowland Smith Ltd in London around February 1932, fitted with engine no. T702 and first registered on 'GW 8492'. At some stage in its life it was exported to Canada, being repatriated in 2007. With the help of Michael Worthington Williams and a 1955 tax disc the original registration number has been recovered. The innovative Ariel Square Four remains unique in the history of motorcycling, with only Suzuki many years later producing a very different two-stroke Square Four 500cc model. Promoted as 'a true gentleman's motorcycle', it is now highly prized by discerning enthusiasts, especially the early overhead cam models. Study the images carefully because what you see is what you get! There appears to be no internals within the engine, however, it is supplied with the parts shown, letters from the owner's club, correspondence concerning reclaiming the registration number, the Canadian Title and a current V5C. A challenging rebuild project, parts bike or even the basis of an interesting special.
