THE G.N.-ARIEL
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THE G.N.-ARIEL
Ted Lloyd-Jones has built several “specials,” each one more exciting than the last. It was he who thought up the fearsome Triangle Special composed of bits of an Army Scout car, with a Rolls-Royce Kestrel aero-engine in the tail. This wa.s Sufficiently potent to make f.t.d. at Brighton in its day.
At Prescott on August 27th Lloyd-Jones produced the G.N.Ariel, which is a sprint “special” very much in the Shelsley Walsh tradition. The basis of this exciting vehicle is a O.N. which Kenneth Neve, V.S.C.C. President, started converting some years ago. In this chassis Lloyd-Jones has installed two 1936 Arid l Square Four motorcycle engines, one behind theother, coupled by achain on the near side. Each •engine has its own B.T.H. magneto and the downdraught carburetters are hidden under a big scoop on the top of the bonnet. There are eight short, rectangular exhaust stubs. From the rear engine the drive goes via another chain to a Burman motorcycle gearbox, and clutch and from there a third chain drives a countershaft, the fourth and final chain conveying the drive to the G.N. back axle. Front suspension is independent, by means of short tubular swing axles with a transverse 1-elliptic leaf-spring. above each, and a braced fabricated radius arm running back to a ball joint on each side.
The front wheels are Austin Seven, with hydraulic brakes relying on a Lockheed master cylinder. The steering-track rod is placed ahead of the swing axles.
The G.N. radius arms and .1-elliptic springs suffice at the luta bin modern Girling strut shock-absorbers are used, with levertype hydraulic dampers at the front. There is one very small rear brake drum on the off side. The pedals are G.N. but what the shovels painted on each side of the scuttle imply is better left to the imagination! The rear tyres are ” Blue Peter ” retreads. It is difficult to know how to refer to this 2-litre 8-cylinder ON.Arid—perhaps as a twin-square-eight? At Prescott the clutch was slipping and gear-changing proved difficult, while there was appreciable understeer’ but the intrepid driver clocked 56.18 sec. Doubtless more will be heard Of this splendid ” special,” which must give something in the region of 8o b.h.p. with minimum avoirdupois.—W. B.