Unveiled in the summer of 1926, the CGSS was one of the quintessential French voiturettes, that could be registered with cheaper fees. This model was a development of Amilcar’s successful line of sports cars known as the CGS. The extra “S” stood for surbaissé and described the model’s much lowerer chassis.
The CGSS featured a revised camshaft, larger sump volume, improved steering box, short wheelbase and larger brakes. The later examples also featured a 4-speed gearbox. Buyers had a choice of various body styles from a coupe to the iconic staggered-seat, pointed-tail roadster.
Designed as an enthusiast’s first racing car, many customers purchased the CGSS to drive during the week and to compete in events on the weekend. Today, the CGSS remains one of the most sought-after Amilcars as well as a landmark example of a late 1920s sports car.
History
Amilcar was founded in July 1921 by Joseph Lamy and Emile Akar. The name "Amilcar" was an imperfect anagram of the partners' names. The business was established at 34 rue du Chemin-Vert in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. However, Amilcar quickly outgrew their restricted city-centre premises, and during the middle part of 1924 the company relocated to Saint-Denis on the northern edge of the city.
