Ariel engine and frame prefix numbers 1926 to 1965.
This list compiled in 1989 is the result of combining previous lists with the knowledge acquired from the Club's Machine Register, the records of Draganfly Motorcycles and the Ariel Works Dispatch Books in the Science Museum Library. The Dispatch books in general do not quote the frame prefix letters and some do not even quote the engine prefix numbers.
The model year began some time between August and November of the previous year, so that, for example '1929' means November 1928 to October 1929.
The combinations of engine and frame prefix letters given are those of the majority. It was sometimes the case that late engine numbers of one model year were dispatched in early frames of the next model year and similarly early engine numbers of one model year were dispatched in late frames of the previous model year.
There is another prefix list included on the site which may contain errors, but does include cyclinder capacities and the like.
| YEAR | MODEL | ENGINE PREFIX | FRAME PREFIX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Heavyweight | P | P |
| 1927 | Heavyweight | V | V |
| 1928 | Heavyweight | W | W |
| 1929 | Heavyweight | H | H |
| Lightweight | L | L | |
| 1930 | Heavyweight | K | K |
| Lightweight | M | L | |
| 1931 | 250cc 350cc VB. VF. SB. SF. SG. 4F 500 |
J A N S R |
J J N or K S R |
| 1932 | 250cc 350cc VB. VG. VH. SB. SG. 4F 500 4F 600 |
E B C D R T |
B or D B C or D D T T
|
| 1933 | 250cc 350cc 500cc. 557cc 4F 600 |
DA BA CA TA |
Y Y or E Y Y |
| 1934 | 250cc 350cc 500cc.557cc 4F 600 |
EA FA GA UA |
Y Y Y Y |
| 1935 | 250cc 350cc 500cc. 557cc 4F 600 |
HA JA KA WA |
Y Y Y Y |
| 1936 | 250cc 350cc 500cc. 600cc 4G1000cc ohv 4F 600 ohc |
AB BB CB DB XB |
F F F P Y |
| 1937 | 250cc 350cc 500cc. 600cc 4G1000 ohv 4F 600 ohv |
AC BC CC DC101-615 EC |
XF XF XF P P |
| 1938 | 250cc 350cc 500cc. 600cc 1000cc 1000cc |
AD BD CD DC616-650 DD |
XG XG XG P P |
| RIGID SPRING | |||
| 1939 | 250cc 350cc 500cc. 600cc 4G & 4H 1000cc 4F 600 ohv |
AE BE CE DE EE |
M --- XG BX XG BX P AX P AX |
| 1940 | 250cc 350cc 500cc. 600cc 4G, 4H 1000 cc 4F 600 ohv |
AH BH CH DH EH & EEH |
M --- XG BX XG BX P AX P AX |
| 1941 - 5 | 350cc W/NG | BH, NBH, RBH (See note at end) |
XG --- |
| 1946 - 7 | 350cc 500cc, 600cc 1000cc 1000c |
BK CK DH268, 273 - 6 DK |
AP or BP --- BP --- P --- XP AX |
|
1948 |
350cc 500cc, 600cc 1000cc 500cc Twin |
AJ BJ CJ PT |
BP BX BP BX XP AX DX CX |
| 1949 | 350cc 500cc, 600cc 500 VCH 1000cc 500 Twin |
DJ EJ CO FJ HT |
RF SF RF SF COM SF GR GS HH HS |
| 1950 | 350cc 500cc, 600cc 500 VCH 500cc Twin 1000cc |
KL MN CO OP JJ |
AB AC AB AC COM or AB AC GD LL TD CW |
| 1951 | 350cc 500cc, 600cc 500 VCH 500 Twin 1000cc |
RA RB CO RC RD |
WA SA WA SA COM or WA SA WB SB WC SC |
| 1952 | 350cc 500cc, 600cc 500 VHA 500 VCH 500 Twin 1000cc |
TB TC TCA TR TE TM |
OA SD OA SD OA SD OR ---- OB SE OC SV |
| 1953 | 350cc NH 500cc VH 600cc VB 500cc VHA 500cc VCH 500cc KH Twin 500cc KHA Twin 1000cc4G MK.1 1000cc4G MK.2 |
XA XC VB (NOT XB) XD XE XF XFA XH XJ |
AM AS AM AS AM AS AM AS MA (NOT AM) --- BW BS BW BS ---- ES EJ ES |
|
1954 |
200cc LH 350cc NH 500cc VH 600cc VB 500cc KH 650cc FH 1000cc 4G MK.2 500cc HS 500cc HT |
PA PB PD PE PH PJ PL PS PD or PT |
---- KN KW KS ---- KS KW VS(NOT KS) BW KS ---- KS ---- KR ---- KSS KT or TF ---- |
| 1955 | 200cc LH 350cc NH 500cc VH 600cc VB 500cc KH 650cc FH 500cc HT 500cc HS 1000cc 4G |
LA LB LC LD LE LF LJ LK GL |
--- LS --- DU --- DU RF DU --- DU --- DU TF --- --- KSS or DUS --- PS |
| 1956 | 200cc LH 350cc NH 500cc VH 600cc VB 500cc KH 650cc FH 500cc HS 500cc HT 1000cc 4G |
ALA MA MB MC MD MLF MH MJ ML |
MT PR PR PR PR PR PRS RT GM |
| 1957 | 200cc LH 350cc NH 500cc VH 600cc VB 500cc KH 650cc FH 500cc HS 500cc HT 350cc HT3 1000cc 4G |
BLA AMA AMB AMC AMD NLF NH NJ AMA NML |
ST APR APR APR APR APR PRS RT RT GM |
|
1958--9 |
200cc LH 350cc NH 500cc VH 600cc VB 650cc FH 500cc HS 500cc HT 350cc HT3 1000cc 4G |
CBLA CAMA CAMB CAMC CNLF CNH CNJ TH CNML |
CST CAPR CAPR CAPR CAPR CPRS CRT CRT CGM |
Note- 1941-5, 350 W/NG. Some of the machines made for the Royal Navy had engine prefix letters NBH, and some of the machines made for the Royal Air force had engine prefix letters RBH. There was no record of this in the Despatch Books. In both cases the numbers were in the main BH sequence.
Ariel Two Stroke engine and frame prefix and suffix letters.
Note:- the two strokes all left the factory with the engine number the same as the frame number. One series of numbers was used for all the two strokes, prefixed T-,the model being indicated by the suffix letter.
/A = Early Leader
/B = Late Leader
/S = Early Arrow
/T = Late Arrow
/G = Arrow SS
/H = 200cc Arrow
Early Leaders and Arrows ( /A and /S ) are those up to and including 17440.
Late Leaders and Arrows ( /B and /T ) are those17441 and higher.
The earliest Arrow T- 8701/S
The earliest Arrow SS T- 20384/G
The earliest Arrow 200cc T-33701/H
This list originaly compiled by Roger Gwynn and Ralph Hawkins in September 1989, corrections to February 1993.