As innovative and smooth as they were unconventional, the Ariel Square Four, or Squariel, is among the most sought-after of classic Brit bikes today. This 1939 example recently for sale on eBay is stunning.
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Near Concours Condition
The “4G” Square Four is rarely available in such excellent condition.
We asked Nic Piekarski of the Throttlestop Collection if it’s a concours example. He said:
Well, let’s just say that we are pretty darn selective about the quality of machinery we display here.
Throttleshop acquired the Ariel from a Mecum auction about four years ago. It has been on proud display since then. Piekarski said:
Of course, we ran it when it was delivered, then pickled it for display purposes. An afternoon’s tinkering, and it’ll fire right up.
The Square Four was fully restored prior to being sold to Throttlestop. It comes with a Wisconsin title.
Vintage reproduction ’39 Ariel sign from RetroRust.
A casual scan of the listing’s images illustrates the Ariel’s appeal. The styling is classic British fare for the time, and there’s lots of chrome and black enamel. The details are pretty exquisite, too. Zoom into the image of the dials, set atop the fuel tank. Delectable stuff.
In fact, it all looks borderline concours, with the possible exception of the rear luggage rack, which is perfectly fitting for this machine. It probably didn’t come from Ariel.
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For those unfamiliar with this handsome and slightly odd motorcycle, the Square Four was more Brough Superior than Triumph Bonneville. It’s a smooth and refined touring machine for the well-heeled rather than a sporty, throbbing wannabe racer. And yes, the engine is square.
Decades before compact inline and V-4 cylinder engines were possible, said four cylinders sat line-astern within the confines of the frame, making a bike very long. Edward Turner, the famed Ariel and Triumph designer, had the wild idea of locating two parallel twin engines, one behind the other, and joining them together.
This meant two crankshafts and one large cylinder head covering all four pots. It’s a complex, heavy solution but with distinct advantages. The four-cylinder engine could reasonably fit in a motorcycle frame. With the crankshafts rotating in opposing directions, it is uncannily smooth.
Remarkably, Turner completed drawings for this engine in 1928. His initial compact 500-cc design fit in Ariel’s 250-cc frame. However, the 500-cc (later 600-cc) version lasted only a few years before it was revised to displace 1000 ccs. This was known as the 4G model and is the article recently for sale on eBay. Few bikes will provoke as much attention and conversation.
Whether you choose to wow the public with it at a show, or casually show it to friends in the garage after dinner, it’s a win/win.
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