THREE OF THE BEST British motorcycle designers of the 20th century had a hand in creating Ariel’s Red Hunters.
In 1925 the company headhunted the talented Val Page from J A Prestwich.
By the end of that year he’d designed a new range of machines which proved tremendously popular and sales soared. Page’s technical improvements played their part, but the singles’ style also heralded a new era with saddle tanks, shorter wheelbases and lower seat height.
Bert Hopwood joined Page as a junior draughtsman, and Edward Turner arrived in 1928 to work on his four-cylinder project.
In the economic upheaval that followed, Page departed and Turner completed the singles’ transformation with his trademark pizzazz, plenty of shiny nickel plate, bright red paintwork and the ‘Red Hunter’ name.
The slim, purposeful and sporting 500 easily captured the imagination of the affluent fast riders of the day.
Read more in the March issue of CBG
