1925 Amilcar CGS(S) – Charles Duval Boattail Roadster
1925 Amilcar CGS(S) – Charles Duval Boattail Roadster
Amilcar was a French car manufacturer, founded by Joseph Lamy and Émile Akar and based in Saint-Denis, near Paris. From 1921 through the 1930s, the marque produced lightweight sports and racing cars and quickly earned an excellent reputation in the fiercely contested 1,100 cc class.
In 1924, Amilcar introduced the CGS, or Châssis Grand Sport. It was equipped with a four-cylinder 1,076 cc engine and a three-speed gearbox. With a claimed top speed of approximately 75 mph (around 120 km/h), the CGS combined low weight with genuine sporting performance. Its successes on the circuit further enhanced the marque’s reputation, including an important class victory during the **Targa Florio **of 1924.
Amilcar specialists identify this car, chassis number 17225, as a CGSS, Châssis Grand SportSurbaisse, due to its four-speed gearbox.
This particular Amilcar CGS(S) is notable for its rare two-seat boattail roadster body, built by the renowned Parisian coachbuilder Carrosserie Charles Duval. Charles Duval was a well-known coachbuilder at the time, producing bodies for numerous Amilcar and Bugatti racing cars.
The streamlined shape strongly evokes the Grand Prix racing cars of the period and gives the CGS(S) a distinctly sporting character.
This particular car, chassis number 17225, was displayed at the New York Auto Show in 1926, where it was offered at a price of $1,850 FOB New York. A top speed of 75 mph (approximately 120 km/h) was quoted.
The subsequent history of this Amilcar is equally remarkable. According to its history, the car was used extensively in the United States in the years after 1926; for part of its life it is said to have hung on the wall of a bar, and later, during the war, to have stood in the attic of an antique shop. The car therefore survived the Second World War in miraculous fashion, fortunately not being melted down or handed in for scrap for the war industry.
The car was rediscovered in Pennsylvania in 1947 and subsequently remained in North America for many decades.
In the 1990s, the car was acquired and exported back to Europe, by which time both the bonnet and the engine were missing. During this period, the car was owned by and formed part of the collection of Automuseum Deventer, where it was restored by the expert collector Tony Paalman. A correct Type ‘G’ engine was located and a new bonnet was fabricated.
In 1999, the Amilcar was exhibited at the Concours d’Elegance Paleis Het Loo, where it won its class. This was the last, and also the only, time the car was exhibited in Europe; it subsequently remained in the United States.
In 2004, the car was acquired by Pebble Beach judge and car collector Tim Walker, who purchased it at the Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction. Tim Walker is also somewhat well known for being the owner of the remarkable 1932 Lancia Dilambda Viotti Phaeton.
He then kept the car in his personal collection for the past twenty years, slowly but continuously perfecting it. He also had the interior restored again, replacing the green interior the car had received in the Netherlands with a higher-quality interior.
Tim Walker subsequently sold the Amilcar to the current owner. The latter thoroughly overhauled the car and ensured that the Amilcar was presented at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in **2025 **, with its restorer from that time, Tony Paalman, in attendance to see the car again after all those years.
After spending many years in America, the car has now returned to Europe. From the workshop of Heritage Cars, this remarkable car will participate in various European events this year. Recently, the car participated in the Concours of Elegance Hampton Court Palace (UK) and Chantilly Arts & Elegance (FR), where it won third prize in the pre-war open cars class.
With its exceptional Charles Duval boattail body, important history as a show car, fascinating transatlantic provenance and documented concours appearances, this Amilcar CGS represents a particularly appealing example of Amilcar’s sporting heritage.
A rare combination of French engineering, high-quality coachbuilding and a rich history makes this Amilcar a particularly interesting car for both the demanding collector and the enthusiast of pre-war sports cars.
This description has been automatically translated. Original language: Dutch.
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