1924 Amilcar CGS

Amilcar was founded by Andre Morel and engineer Edmond Moyet. Their products were voiturettes and cyclecars. The name Amilcar was an imperfect anagram of the partners' names. The company remained in business until the intervention of war which France (and Britain) declared against Germany in early September of 1939. After the war, Amilcar did not resume production.

A Paris businessman named Emile Akar, and an executive at cyclecar maker Le Zebre named Joseph Lamy, backed the partners' prototype. Amilcar's first model was called the CC and production began in 1921. It wore a design by Edmond Moyet and was powered by Amilcar's own four-cylinder 904cc side-valve engine. It had a three-speed gearbox and quarter-elliptic spring suspension. The wheelbase measured 91 inches. The CC would later evolve into the Type CS and 4C. The C4 was a slightly longer sports car while the CS, introduced in 1924, was a sportier version with a 1004cc engine. The company's most famous model was introduced in 1924. It was called the CGS 'Grand Sport' and had a 1074cc side-valve engine and four-wheel brakes. It later evolved into the CGSS 'Grand Sport Surbaissé'. In Germany, these cars were built under license and called the Pluto. In Austria, they were the Grofrio, and in Italy the Italiano. Production of the CGS would continue through 1929 with continuous improvements. Most were fitted with two-seat bodywork with buyers having the option of lightweight aluminum.

The CC was fast and competitive, winning the 1100cc Class Champion of France in 1922, driven by Andre Morel.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2019