Ariel W/NG 350
The Ariel W/NG 350 is a motorcycle based on the well-proven Ariel Red Hunter singles built by Ariel Motorcycles for the British military, and designed by the firm's chief designer Val Page in 1932 around an engine he had developed six years earlier. Although the Ariel was not initially selected by the War Department, they were in great demand after the evacuation of Dunkirk when much of the British Army's materiel had been left behind.
Development
On the outbreak of the Second World War, Ariel submitted the 1939 VA overhead valve single for evaluation against the War Office's Norton 16H. The 1939 W/VA 497cc side-valve single was also tested. Both performed well and Ariel developed the W/NG specifically for military use. This was a OHV single based on a Scottish six-day Trials winning model and went into production in 1940.Although the French military immediately placed orders for the W/NG, the British War Office rated it as "fair – for use only in emergency purposes". Following the loss of equipment resulting from the evacuation of Dunkirk in May 1940 the "emergency purposes" became necessary, and Ariel turned over as many motorcycles as possible to the war effort, including converted civilian machines – many of which still carried an Ariel badge painted over with green or sand paint. VH & VG, NH & NG, and even the VB models were put into military service, although most were used for training and civil defence. The British Army, Royal Air Force, Admiralty, Ministry of Agriculture and Women's Land Army all used Ariel W/NG 350s.
Production
W/NG motorcycles were supplied from 1940 to 1945 and featured dual triangular tool boxes, pannier frames for bags, rear carrying racks and headlamp masks. Rubber items were impossible to source from 1942 because of a shortage of rubber, therefore handgrips were made from canvas and footrests from steel. As the war progressed, aluminium also became scarce and pressed steel was used for the primary chaincase and timing covers.From an order of 2,000, a few hundreds were delivered in June 1940 to the French Army, many being captured by the Wehrmacht.
| Date | Production | Notes |
| 10 July 1940 | 1 | First prototype delivered |
| 8 August 1940 | 2,700 | 153 delivered to French military |
| 27 August 1940 | 350 | Chilwell |
| 18 September 1940 | 2,000 | Chilwell |
| 7 March 1941 | 3,500 | Tewkesbury |
| 14 March 1942 | 3,500 | |
| 9 April 1942 | 1,800 | Delivered to the Royal Air Force |
| 27 August 1942 | 75 | Delivered to the Royal Navy |
| 20 November 1942 | 40 | |
| 21 January 1943 | 50 | Delivered to the Royal Navy |
| 3 March 1943 | 2,250 | |
| 5 May 1943 | 100 | Delivered to the Royal Navy |
| 9 October 1943 | 250 | Delivered to the Royal Navy |
| 20 September 1943 | 4,000 | Contract price £62 each |
| 6 January 1944 | 3,000 | Contract price £62 each |
| 25 March 1944 | 5 | |
| 31 March 1944 | 2,000 | Reduced from original contract for 3,500 |
| 16 June 1944 | 350 | Delivered to the Royal Navy |
| 27 January 1945 | 43 | Delivered to the Royal Navy |
| 31 January 1945 | 249 | Delivered to the Royal Navy |
| 15 February 1945 | 1,122 | Delivered to the Royal Air Force |
| 7 April 1945 | 300 | Delivered to the Royal Navy |
| 12 June 1945 | 300 |