Ariel (American automobile)

The Ariel was an American automobile manufactured by the Ariel Motor Car Company from 1905 to 1906 in Boston, and, briefly, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The factory has a building whose main structure is 312 feet long and 52 feet wide, with three floors. There are other buildings on the premises that can be used if necessary. ^[1]

1906 Ariel Type IV

1905 Ariel Type III Roadster

Ariel Type IV Engine 28/30 HP with 3942 cc, bore 111,125 mm and stroke 101,6 mm

The car was available with either an air-cooled or a water-cooled engine,^[2] either of which had a single overhead camshaft and delivered 30 horsepower. The radiator was oval in shape, similar to those of Delaunay-Belleville cars. Ariel's slogan, "Look for the Oval Front," was based on this feature.^[3]

The company was incorporated in Boston near the end of 1904 with capital stock of $100,000. Officers of the company were Charles B. Lamont, Charles J. Palmer, and Joseph P. Alcort.^[4] Sales were handled by the Lewis & Matthews Company on Stanhope Street in Boston, which took over ownership of the Ariel line.^[5]

Production of the Ariel was moved to a factory in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1906, but the factory closed after just three months when it was seized by the sheriff on behalf of unpaid creditors.^[6] The Ariel line was then taken over by the Sinclair-Scott Company of Baltimore, Maryland.^[7][8] Sinclair-Scott, a manufacturer of canning machinery, had also been making parts for Ariel and other auto companies.^[9] Sinclair-Scott changed the brand name to Maryland.^[3][9]