Australian car industry could be reborn with unexpected brand

Lightspeed Motor Company is aiming to manufacture Ariel vehicles in Australia, having already secured the exclusive licence to the open-top Atom and Nomad models locally.

Despite rising to fame in the mid-2000s thanks to Jeremy Clarkson’s iconic review of the Atom on Top Gear, Ariel didn’t start selling cars in Australia until 2023, when it partnered with Road and Track as its official dealer Down Under.

Now, Lightspeed plans to manufacture and export Ariels in Melbourne, having claimed to “secured the rights to sell the Ariel Atom and Nomad across Asia Pacific”, which it says “unlocks a powerful expansion pathway and local production means competitive pricing, shorter lead times with local compliance”.

The official launch of its manufacturing is yet to take place, though Lightspeed is currently encouraging investors to get in touch to fast-track its efforts.

Lightspeed claims more than 4000 expressions of interest were taken for the Atom in late 2023, with excessive wait times spurring the push to build Ariel vehicles locally.

“By producing the Atom and Nomad domestically, Lightspeed will eliminate lengthy delays, reduce costs, deliver a strong return to investors and deliver these iconic machines into the hands of passionate Australian drivers faster and more affordably than ever before”.

When Ariel announced its Road and Track partnership in 2023, it priced the Atom 4 from $179,990 before on-road costs, though customisations including a Formula 1-style bodykit can further increase this price.

The Atom 4 is powered by the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine from the Honda Civic Type R, while the Nomad 2 uses a 2.3-litre four-pot from a Ford Focus ST.

While there aren’t any brands building cars from the ground-up in Australia, companies like Walkinshaw Automotive and RMA are instrumental in OEM-back left- to right-hand drive conversions.

Walkinshaw’s products include the Chevrolet Silverado and related GMC Yukon, the Toyota Tundra and Ram’s 1500/2500/3500, while RMA handles the Ford F-150.