Atom Origins

What's in a Name?
In the late 19th century, British bicycle designers James Starley and William Hillman invented wire-spoke wheels, allowing them to build a bike that weighed much less than contemporary models. The pair decided to name their bicycle after Ariel, the mischievous airy spirit in Shakespeare's "The Tempest." One hundred years later, the name is still associated with innovative design and engineering excellence.

The mastermind of the Atom is Simon Saunders, a British auto designer who has conceived motorcycles for Van Veen and Norton and cars for General Motors, Aston Martin and Porsche. After becoming Director of Ariel Motor Company, Saunders set out to design a vehicle that afforded drivers both the thrill of a motorcycle and the safety of a car. The product of that mission is the Atom, a vehicle that many have described as part jet, part racecar and part high-performance motorcycle.

Ariel Motor Company is much better known for its motorcycles. Founded in 1898, Ariel is one of the oldest names in British motoring history. It started manufacturing motorcycles in 1902 and produced both 350cc and 500cc bikes until the late 1950s. A well-known Ariel model was the VH500 Red Hunter, a two-wheeler that could muster 26 horsepower and had a top speed of more than 80 mph.

Ariel's most famous motorcycle, however, was the Square Four, a model the company introduced in 1937. In the early days of its production, the Square Four engine had displacements ranging from 500cc to 600cc. Eventually the largest engine topped out at 997cc, put out 45 horsepower and rocketed the motorcycle to more than 100 mph. Edward Turner designed the Square Four's engine before moving on to Triumph Motorcycles, where he helped oversee the launch of the Triumph Tiger and the Speed Twin in 1937 and 1938 respectively.

The Square Four was popular, but it was heavy and expensive. After WWII, Ariel redesigned the motorcycle with a lighter aluminum engine and telescoping front forks and rear suspension. Despite the innovations, the Square Four eventually succumbed to competitive pressures, and the last model came out in 1958.

Although best known for its motorcycles, Ariel Motor Company also produced various cars, trikes, quads, delivery and military vehicles over the years. In the early 1900s, the company experimented with a then-remarkable four-cylinder car known as the Aero-Simplex. The water-cooled Aero-Simplex was inspired by four-cylinder designs from Mercedes and delivered up to 30 horsepower. Ariel also experimented with six-cylinder models that could produce up to 60 horsepower, but none became enormously popular. After 1918, the company made one last attempt to capitalize on the small-car market with the Ariel Nine. When the original Atom was launched in 2000, it was the first vehicle to bear the Ariel name in 27 years.

The Atom in America
In the United States, the Atom is available through Brammo Motorsports, an Ashland, Oregon-based company that specializes in manufacturing niche production vehicles for the North American market. Brammo was founded in 2002 and currently employs 27 people. Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher became interested in the Atom after taking the car for a test drive. When Ariel started looking for an American dealer, Bramscher felt that Brammo was a good match. After evaluating several companies, Ariel agreed and entered into a licensing agreement with Brammo.


Image courtesy Brammo Motorsports / Ariel Atom

As mentioned earlier, Brammo's version of the Atom specifies a General Motors Ecotec engine instead of the Honda iVTEC specified by Ariel. Otherwise, Brammo adheres strictly to the vision of Simon Saunders, handcrafting each car one at a time. Brammo has six vehicles already built, with 50 on order. Ten potential customers fly in for test-drives each month. In five years, Brammo plans to be making a thousand cars -- and $80 million -- annually.

Brammo's aspirations don't end with the Atom, either. Lead Designer Brian Wismann, a veteran of Daytona racecar body designing, is hard at work on Brammo's own line of specialty vehicles. One of these is the Brammo Rogue GT, the first V12 American supercar designed and built in the U.S. for the world. The company also has plans for a V8 supercar, priced under $200,000, that will be marketed under the name Ronin GT, as well as an environmentally friendly electric vehicle and an alternative-fuel racecar that runs on liquid propane or hydrogen.

So will we see Atoms zipping by us on the interstate or throwing back a cloud of dust as it barrels down a country road? It's not likely -- the Atom will probably be a rare sight on the highway. After all, it is only street-legal if assembled as a kit vehicle, and there are only a few registered Atoms in the United States. As a turnkey vehicle, the Atom is sold as off-road-only for track-day use. And it's there -- on America's tracks -- that the Atom will continue to break records and leave jaws hanging on the ground.

Full North American Specs for the Atom
  • Engine: General Motors Ecotec 4 cylinder
  • Displacement: 1998cc
  • Maximum Power:
    • 205 horsepower with base trim
    • 245 horsepower with tuning
    • 300 horsepower with tuning plus supercharger
  • Maximum Torque: 200 foot-pounds
  • Transmission: Five-speed manual
  • 0-60 mph: 2.8 s
  • Maximum Speed: 135 mph
  • Weight: 1005 pounds
  • Weight-to-Power Ratio (lb/hp):
    • 4.9 to 1 with base trim
    • 4.1 to 1 with tuning
    • 3.35 to 1 with tuning plus supercharger
  • Fuel Economy: 33 miles per gallon