1924 Amilcar CGS

Registration No: YW 75
Chassis No: 353RJC4474C
MOT: Exempt

• The quintessential vintage French cyclecar
• Subject to an extensive restoration during the late 1970s
• Maintained in recent years by I. S. Rolls Vintage & Classic Engineering
• Eligible for all the best V.S.C.C. events, plus the Le Mans Classic

Owing its name to the combination of the founders' names, Joseph Lamy and Emile Akar, Amilcar commenced automobile production in St. Denis, initially with a design by Citroën's Edmond Moyet. Like the compatriot Salmsons, Amilcars representing the quintessential small French sports car of the 1920s, and its light cyclecars were an instant success. Production later moved to Boulogne-sur-Seine, and after the cyclecar craze died out, Amilcar moved into the heavier touring car market during the 1930s.

The CGS model was produced between 1923 and 1925 as a development from the Amilcar Type C. The new car featured four-wheel brakes, a longer and stronger chassis and the capacity of the four-cylinder side-valve engine was increased to 1,074 cc.

A really beautiful and archetypal example of the vintage Grand Sport (and refreshingly different from all those painted in the usual Bleu de France), ‘YW 95’ was discovered in 1972 in a dismantled state round the back of a garage in Essex. Reportedly, it had previously been recovered from a barn by one of the mechanics who worked there, but then stripped and never rebuilt. Its finder, Richard Cole of Wimbledon, documented the discovery with photographs, and in 1975 the Amilcar was despatched for restoration to Adrian Mounsdon. Aiming to recreate as closely as possible the original factory style, a new body skin and wings were fabricated by Peel Bros. in Surbiton, a slightly earlier engine was installed, and a replacement rear axle in the correct style was sourced. The project reached completion in 1980, when the car was registered ‘117 KGC’.

A well-known enthusiast, Jeffrey Ody of Devizes, purchased the Amilcar in December, 1987, and effected further improvements, including fitting a 1926 engine of the correct 1,074cc specification, and repainting the chassis from Black to Blue. In May, 2015, it was acquired by our vendor and pressed into action at a range of events around Britain, while maintenance was entrusted to I. S. Rolls Vintage & Classic Engineering of Rochester, Kent. Rolls fitted a new flywheel ring gear in October, 2021, and in 2022 installed a new starter motor from Auto Electric Supplies.

Possessing all the liveliness and sensitivity that make vintage sporting voiturettes so appealing, this CGS is said to start “on the button.” The opportunities for enjoying it are endless, not only with the V.S.C.C. but also with the Amilcar Salmson Club, or simply on a whim and independently of any club. It is supplied with history including the V5C, the V.S.C.C. eligibility document, many invoices and M.O.T.s, plus correspondence with previous owners.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
lucas.gomersall@handh.co.uk
07484 082430