Artie Bell

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: As every motor-cyclist knows, Artie Bell comes from Belfast and has had many road race successes on Nortons since the war. He kicked off in 1947 by winning the Senior class of which the North-West "200", which is always considered a significant pointer to T.T. form.

His first race on the Island was the Junior T.T. of the following month, but in this he had the bad luck to retire early on. In the Senior of the same week he led on the first, third and sixth laps, but was pipped by his team mate, Harold Daniell on the last lap. Two months later he won the Senior class of the Ulster Grand Prix at 91.25 m.p.h. establishing a record lap for the post-war course at 94.79 m.p.h. This "Ulster" lap record still stands.
Last year, he set the ball rolling by winning the 350 class of the Swiss Grand Prix. In the T.T. he was third in the Junior race at 78.97 m.p.h., and won the Senior of the followintg Friday at 84.97 m.p.h. after an exciting duel with Harold Daniell.

On the Continent soon afterwards, he won the Senior class of the Dutch T.T. at 82.75 m.p.h. and in the "World's Wettest Ulster", after leading at various stages, he retired at Clady Corner on the twelfth lap. This year, he has already won the first important event of the calendar - the Senior class of the North-West "200".

He is again a member of the Norton Works team.

Mounts: Junior – Norton
Senior – Norton

Arthur John Bell – more usually known as Artie – is 36 years of age and, as every motor cyclist knows, comes from Belfast. He has been a consistent winner on Norton machines since the war, starting off in 1947 by collecting the Senior class of the North West “200”.

In his first race in the Island – the 1947 Junior – he retired early on, but in the Senior of the same week he led on the first, third and sixth laps, but was pipped by his team-mate Harold Daniell on the last lap by 22 seconds. Two months later he won the Senior class of the Ulster Grand Prix at 91.25 m.p.h.

In 1948 he set the ball rolling by winning the 350 class of the Swiss Grand Prix. In the T.T. he was third in the Junior race at 78.97 m.p.h., and won the Senior of the following Friday at 84.97 m.p.h., after another exciting duel with Harold Daniell. He then went onto win the 500 class of the Dutch T.T. at 82.75 m.p.h.

Last year he started well by winning the 500 class of the North West “200”, but in the events which followed his luck was usually out, although he was often amongst “those present”. For example he was third in the Junior T.T. and fourth in the Senior, whilst on the Continent he was fourth in the 500 classes of both the Dutch and Belgian races.
This year he has already won the 500 c.c. class of the Leinster “200” and the North-West “200.”

He is again a member of the Official Norton Team.
(TT Special, 5 June 1950, p.17.)

Mounts: Senior – Norton
Junior – Norton

Comes from Belfast and is a partner in the firm of Bell & McCandless, of ‘spring-heel’ fame.

Artie Bell has had many road race successes on Nortons since the War, particularly in Northern Ireland where he recently won the Senior class in that very significant pointer of T.T. form, the North-West ‘200.’

Now a member of the official Norton team in both races, Bell is in first class company with Harold Daniell, the Senior lap record holder, Bills, three times winner of the M.G.P., and Lyons, last year’s Senior Manx winner.
(TT Special, 9 June 1947, p.10.)

The man standing between Artie and Harold is Rex McCandless, who designed the 'Featherbed' Norton frame. In 1950, Norton brought out the Featherbed frame and it helped Bell win the 350 cc Junior race. Bell also did well in the 1950 Dutch TT and Swiss Grand Prix with this frame.

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Nationality: Irish

Gender: Male

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