Amilcar CGSS

Posted on March 14, 2018 by classiccarweekly

1927 Amilcar CGSS Voiturette

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | March 18, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

Amilcar was a French automobile brand that built cars between 1921 and 1939. They were good – as you can see – at building sporty little roadsters. Toward the end of their existence, they also offered a forward-thinking model aimed for more mass-market consumption. But financial difficulties and the war prevented it from being a success.

Ah, but the CGS Type S (or CGSS). It’s a fantastic example of pre-war French sportiness. It may not have the desirability or pedigree of a Bugatti, but these are awfully sharp looking cars, aren’t they? The CGS was introduced in 1923 and the CGSS, which was lower and more powerful, was produced between 1926 and 1929. It’s powered by a 40 horsepower 1.1-liter straight-four.

This car came to the U.S. in the 1990s and was professionally restored between 2002 and 2005. It returned to Europe in 2012 and hasn’t been used much since. The color scheme here is fantastic and the car looks great. Only about 4,700 examples of the CGS and CGSS were built. This one should sell for between $55,000-$82,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ Goodwood lineup.

Update: Sold $95,756.

Amilcar Compound

Posted on June 14, 2016 by classiccarweekly

1939 Amilcar Compound B38 Roadster

Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | June 19, 2016

Photo – Osenat

Amilcar, Joseph Lamy and Emile Akar’s French car company, is most well-known for their light, sporting cars of the 1920s. They competed in a lot of different racing events over the years, including the Monte Carlo Rally and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Amilcar faced financial trouble in the early 1930s and they had a new corporate overlord that they turned to for help: Hotchkiss. At the 1937 Paris Auto Show, they debuted a front-wheel drive car that would go on sale in 1938. Called the B38 (or the Compound), the cars were powered by a 1.2-liter straight-four making 34 horsepower. Most were two-door sedans, through a Roadster was offered (as were commercial variants).

In all, only 681 passenger versions were made, with the Roadster being much rarer than the sedan. Very few survive. This one has been in the same family for 50 years and has not seen much if any use in recent decades. The paint has been redone but it does need a little work to get it roadworthy. You will definitely have something almost no one else does with this car. It should bring between $13,000-$17,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $18,725.

Bonhams’ Collectors’ Cars at Goodwood Highlights (06/12)

Posted on July 21, 2012 by classiccarweekly

Bonhams’ sale held during 2012’s Goodwood Festival of Speed had some impressive results. Like, really impressive. The George Daniels Collection was responsible for over $12 million worth of sales alone. Top sale came from said collection – it was this 1929-31 Bentley 4.5-Litre Supercharged “Blower” Bentley Single-Seater. This car held the Brooklands Outer Circuit lap record. It remains, some 80 years later, a seriously fast car. It sold for $7,900,000.

The Bentley just edged out this glorious 1912 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Double Pullman Limousine by Barker. Known as “The Corgi,” this all-original Rolls is about as awe-inspiring as they come. It brought a world-record price for a Rolls-Royce at $7,300,000 (the Bentley above was also a record setter for the marque).

The next two highest-selling cars were two of our feature cars. First, the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 with Le Mans history brought $4,200,000. Then there was the 1908 Itala Grand Prix car, which sold for $2,725,000. The only other million dollar sale was $1,200,000 for a 1928 Bentley 4.5-Liter Supercharged Tourer, which was my personal favorite Bentley of the handful on offer.

Top sale among the large collection of Lotuses went to the 1962 Type 19 “Monte Carlo” with Buick V8 power (below). It sold for $248,000. One of our feature Lotuses didn’t sell – the 1984 Etna Concept. The other one did: the ex-works 1956 Eleven Le Mans brought $239,000.

Our other two feature cars both sold. The 1951 HRG 1500 brought $57,000. And the 1907 Daimler Type TP Tourer sold for $564,000. Other interesting sales included a rare 1963 Sunbeam Alpine Harrington hardtop for $30,600.

Two other cars I liked (and would’ve featured had there been time) were this 1924 Ballot 2LT/2LTS Torpedo with coachwork by Lagache & Glaszmann (top) for $61,000. And this 1926 Amilcar Model G (bottom) for $54,000.

And finally, and this might have as much to do with the picture as the car, an ex-Elton John, 1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. It sold for $122,600. This has to be the most reflective shade of purple I’ve ever seen. It looks awesome. For complete results, click here.

1928 Amilcar C6

Posted on January 23, 2012 by classiccarweekly

1928 Amilcar C6 Voiturette

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 2, 2012

“Voiturette” is basically French for “small car” or “light car” (no, that’s not a direct translation). The term was used widely and applied to many pre-war automobiles coming from France. Amilcar started producing cyclecars in 1921 and before long that had sturdier equipment tearing it up on racetracks in Europe.

The C6 was introduced at the Paris Auto Salon in October of 1926. It featured a twin-cam straight six with a Roots-type supercharger that made over 60 horsepower. Because Amilcar was not a giant operation like some of their competitors (like Salmson), their cars were somewhat more expensive (economies of scale, anyone?).

This led to a price for the C6 of about 40,000 francs – which is about what you could’ve bought a Bugatti Type 37 for back in the day. The Amilcar shares the pre-war open-wheel race car look (and the striking blue paint) with Bugatti and, while the Bugatti might win the sexiness competition, one could argue that an Amilcar is more interesting (and rarer).

This car did not sell at a previous Bonhams auction within the past 12 months. It is being offered again with an pre-sale estimate of about $580,000-$680,000. For a more thorough history on this particular care, click here and for more on Bonhams in Paris, click here.

Update: Not Sold.