Company overview
Ariel Motor Company Limited is a British automotive manufacturer located in Crewkerne, Somerset. The company was founded in 1991 by Simon Saunders as Solocrest Ltd., initially with the goal of modernizing the Lotus Seven. Saunders developed the Ariel Atom in 1999, a lightweight sports car utilizing an exoskeletal design and a Honda Civic Type-R engine. The company changed its name to Ariel Motor Company Ltd. in 1999 and currently employs approximately 30 people. They produce up to 100 vehicles annually. Ariel Motor Company manufactures the Ariel Atom, which uses a Honda Civic Type-R engine and gearbox. The Atom’s design features a tube chassis with no bodywork or roof, resulting in a weight of under 500 kilograms. The company also produces the Ariel Ace motorcycle, powered by a Honda V4 engine, and introduced the Nomad buggy in 2015. In 2017, Ariel announced the HIPERCAR, an electric sports car utilizing Equipmake APM200 motors.
