Lot 310: 1970 Ariel 3 Moped

‘Here it is. Whatever it is.’ That was how the BSA Group’s advertisers heralded the arrival of the ill-conceived Ariel 3 in 1970. A tricycle aimed squarely at commuters, the Ariel 3 was powered by a 50cc Dutch Anker engine and featured a clever banking front end controlled by torsion bars, while its closely-spaced rear wheels, which remained upright, allowed the Ariel trike to be classed as a moped. No doubt BSA’s overblown marketing department had concluded that the apparent stability of such an arrangement would appeal to those nervous of riding a ‘real’ motorcycle or moped. They were very much mistaken; the machine turned out to be a disastrous flop, the £2 million wasted on the project playing a big part in precipitating the Group’s subsequent collapse. One of several famous ‘lost causes’ featuring in the McManus Collection, this example is offered with Swansea V5C registration document.