In my Market Monday features, I’ve covered a variety of pre-war collector cars offered at auction, but I don’t believe I’ve ever highlighted one for Good Find Friday. While post-war European cars are more within our area of expertise, pre-war European models are a personal sub-passion of mine—and you’ll often find me browsing intriguing listings on PreWarCar.com. Today’s find, an Amilcar CGS, happens to be one of my all-time favorites.

Amilcar was a French automobile manufacturer founded in 1921 by Joseph Lamy and Emile Akar, whose names inspired the company’s moniker. Based in Saint-Denis near Paris, Amilcar quickly gained a reputation for producing small, lightweight sports cars that were both affordable and agile. These “voiturettes,” as they were known, became popular among amateur racing enthusiasts during the 1920s, especially the CGS and CGSs models, which were known for their spirited performance and elegant design.

Despite early success, Amilcar struggled to adapt to the rapidly changing automotive market of the 1930s. Attempts to expand into more luxurious and larger vehicles, including a straight-eight powered model, failed to resonate with buyers. The company’s fortunes declined during the Great Depression, and it was eventually absorbed by Hotchkiss in 1937. While a compelling and technically advanced vehicle was produced from this partnership, it sold in small numbers and production was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. Sadly, the brand never resumed production after the war.

Today’s feature car is an Amilcar CGS, a variant of the Amilcar C built from 1923 to 1925. It’s currently on offer from Hageman Motorcars in Washington State.

The Amilcar CGS was a development of the Amilcar CS that was so successful in in racing in the early 1920s. A proper racing works project, the C “Grand Sport” added front-wheel brakes, a new cylinder head design and an increase in displacement to 1,074cc. About 4,700 are reported to have been built.

The body on this particular Amilcar CGS wears a stamped badge denoting a body built in 1925 by the French coachbuilder Charles Duval, whose factory was well-known for building custom sports bodies for Amilcar, Bugatti, and more. 

Its boat-tail design is quite similar to the gorgeously sleek Bugatti grand prix cars of the era. Black paint is a somewhat unusual color to find on an Amilcar, and this example’s matching fenders, wheels and radiator generate a rather stealthy vibe.

The interior is currently upholstered in tan leather, which in my opinion is not necessarily an upgrade to the green upholstery it received when it was purchased and restored by a Holland museum in 1995. This was a change made later in its life and one can’t argue that it provides a nice contrast to the monochromatic exterior.

The listing seems to suggest that the car was missing its engine on its arrival in the Netherlands, as a 4-cylinder G-type engine was sourced and fitted. A 2004 Sports Car Market article on this exact car notes that in its early life it received a Cozette supercharger that may have led to an engine failure.

In regard to gearbox, previous auction listings mentioned a 4-speed which was not available on the Amilcar CGS. Per the selling dealer, the car will need some refurbishment to be a reliable road-worthy tourer.

No price is listed on the Hageman Motorcars website, so one would need to inquire with them as to the cost of acquiring this beautiful Amilcar. As the listing says, Amilcars like this one do not come to market very often. In the last 5 years, just 16 Amilcars were sold at auction (more were listed but those lots went unsold). Sales of Amilcar CGS vehicles comprise just over 50% of those listings.

The average price of an Amilcar CGS over the last 5 years stands at about $66,000, but bear in mind that includes vehicles in a variety of conditions, specifications, and provenance. Given this vehicle’s history and quality of restoration, I’d expect it to be priced at the top end of the market.

Voiturettes and smaller hillclimb, grand prix, and trials cars like this Amilcar CGS are not as popular in North America as they are in Europe, where many events provide opportunities for them to demonstrate their racing provenance. This means the primary and most lucrative market would likely be in Europe rather than the United States.

This particular car was last sold at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction where it was sold to a noted car collector who has owned the vehicle for 20 years. He appears to have taken very good care of the car as its cosmetic condition appears to be quite good.

When considering the purchase of an Amilcar voiturette like this one, it would be a smart move to bring a marque specialist with you, as so many pre-war cars are constructed from factory spares or reproduction and new-old-stock components. While there’s no doubt this was an original Amilcar CGS, complete documentation of its authenticity would be a worthy expense.

While the market suggests at times that interest in pre-war cars is waning, I’m one middle-age Gen-Xer who hopes one day to pilot my own Amilcar CGS down a country lane on a misty Sunday morning.

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!