1947 Other Makes ARIEL Red Hunter 500

BP3364

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1947 ARIEL Red Hunter 500ccOne Owner, ex-Santa Ana Dragstrip (100.51mph in 1952) The Red Hunter 500 was produced from 1932-1959 and was conceived as the top of the line sporting single from Ariel. With overhead valves and the option of a twin port head (giving the appearance of a twin), it gained a reputation as a reliable, fast and beautiful motorcycle. In January of 1947 George Boskoff, a 20 year old gearhead from the South Bay area of Los Angeles, purchased this very motorcycle brand new. Feeling the need for speed, he soon went about hopping it up and fitted a smaller tank, removed excess sheetmetal, and tuned it to run on alcohol. The period photo above shows him posing on the bike in 1952. On the back he wrote about his 1/4 mile runs at nearby Santa Ana Dragstrip in Orange County, CA. He was able to reach 100.51 mph, which he noted "...was considered exceptional for a 500cc single and I must have weighed close to 200". The bike was put away shortly after this. It was placed in storage in a building owned by Mr. Boskoff and it did not see the light of day until I purchased it this year from the new owner of that building. It is in a slightly different configuration than that in the photo and has high pipes on both sides out of a twin port head. The motorcycle is put together with no crankcase or gearbox internals and comes with those parts you see in the photo. Some fasteners are modern, but no threads were changed or damaged. (Lot's of the original stuff is standard 1/4-20..) I believe the engine is complete, but the gearbox may be missing some parts. There is also box of many nuts/bolts etc. Included with this sale is the original 1947 California pink slip (title) in George Boskoff's name. George raced a few Matchless and Ariel engined specials in auto races around Southern California in the late 1950s then went on to work for Caroll Shelby as a fabricator on the new Cobras. In 1963 the West Coast manager of the Rootes group (Sunbeam) approached Shelby with the concept of a Ford V8 in the Sunbeam Alpine. Shelby jumped at the idea and put his best man on it. George Boskoff then built a superb high quality prototype with a 260 Ford Fairlane V8 and after it was presented to the Sunbeam folks they decided to produce it as the iconic Tiger. This motorcycle is not advertised anywhere else and this auction is the exclusive venue to purchase it. There is a reasonable reserve. Please ask any and all questions and read the terms below before bidding. Terms of This Sale:1) By bidding in this auction, you declare that you have read the Terms of this Sale as outlined below and agree to them.2) If you are the winning high bidder in this auction, you are entering a legal and binding contract to purchase the motorcycle, as outlined in the eBay User Agreement . Since bid retractions upset the auction process, any bid retractions without my prior knowledge and approval will cause the auction to end immediately. I prefer not to disclose the reserve.3) The motorcycle may be viewed in person, by appointment in Costa Mesa, California, prior to the end of the auction. I am located 7 minutes from Orange County Airport (SNA), and 40 Minutes from LAX. Please email for an appointment. If you have any questions, please ask them BEFORE you bid.4) Please, bid on this motorcycle only if you are serious about owning it and have the funds available. Payment is due in full within 3 days of the end of the auction. 5) The motorcycle is sold "as is, where is," with no warranty. Transportation is the responsibility of the new owner. I can recommend reliable professional transporters or shippers and will assist with loading.6) After the auction has ended, the sale price is final. Thank you and good luck!