ariel
A brief history about ariel:
Ariel Ltd. is a small but mighty sports car manufacturer based in Crewkerne, Somerset. In fact, it's one of the UK’s tiniest car makers, with just seven employees crafting high-performance machines.
The company originally started in 1991 as Solocrest Limited but rebranded to Ariel Ltd. in 2001 after acquiring the rights to the historic Ariel name in 1999. While today's Ariel is a different company from the original, the name carries a rich legacy in British automotive history.
The name "Ariel" has Hebrew origins, meaning "Lion of God," but it's believed that the British founders were inspired by Shakespeare’s play *The Tempest*, where Ariel is a spirit of the air. The original Ariel company made its mark in 1870 with the Ariel Ordinary, a revolutionary high-wheel bicycle featuring a lightweight steel frame and patented spoke tension hubs.
By the early 1900s, Ariel had entered the automotive world, producing two standout roadsters. The first, the Ariel Grand Prix Racer, was a nimble two-seater weighing just 1,100 kg and powered by a 2,325cc four-cylinder engine. The second, the Hillclimber, was a sleek four-seater roadster with a 3,000cc engine that delivered 60 horsepower and featured an aluminum body.
Despite these early successes, Ariel shifted its focus to motorcycles, becoming a leading name in the British motorcycle industry throughout the first half of the 20th century. Some of its most famous models include the Model E Super Sports, Red Hunter, Square 4, and Arrow, each leaving a lasting impact on motorcycle engineering.
Fast forward to the modern era, and Ariel Ltd. made waves in 2000 with the launch of the **Ariel Atom**, the world’s first road-legal exoskeletal car. Featuring a tubular chassis and no bodywork or roof, the Atom was incredibly lightweight (around 1,000 lbs) and delivered mind-blowing acceleration, thanks to its Rover K-series engine.
The **Ariel Atom 2** took things up a notch, introducing a 2.0-liter Honda VTEC engine paired with a Honda six-speed manual transmission. Its performance caught the attention of the popular automotive show *Top Gear*, which helped skyrocket the Atom’s reputation.
With its astonishing speed, handcrafted quality, and razor-sharp handling, the Ariel Atom set a world record for the fastest 0 to 100 mph and back to 0 time for a road-legal car. Today, Ariel continues to push the boundaries of lightweight performance, delivering some of the most thrilling driving experiences on the planet.
Current Models
Browse through this ariel’s current models below and explore their specifications