Born: 1921 Nationality: French
Joseph Lamy, who had been involved with the design of a pre-WWI small car, the Le Zebre, teamed up with financier Emile Akar in Paris in 1921 to build a "voiturette" - a reasonable priced cyclecar for the masses.
Their first Amilcar, designed by Edmund Moyet and Jules Saloman, was very similar to that 603cc Le Zebre, and successfully established the Amilcar name - not least because it was competitively priced.
Just a year after its beginnings, the company produced the more sophisticated CC, which had a 903cc engine and 3-speed gearbox, and from which was developed the C4 "family car" variant. The CC continued in production until 1925, in tandem with a more powerful model E which was available with 1.5 and 1.6-litre engines. In 1925, a sport version of the CC, the CS, was introduced. The year also saw the more powerful CGS with a 1074cc engine and 4-wheel brakes.
The even more sporty CGSS had 10% more horsepower bringing its output to 33hp. It became so popular that the company had to licence production in a number of other countries, including Germany, Austria and Italy. It sold in substantial number from 1926 to 1929, in part because Amilcar took part in motor racing with the C6 Course, powered by supercharged 6-cylinder 1100cc engines capable of producing 83hp. This raised the brand image, so that it dominated the voiturette class.
In 1928, the M touring car was launched with a 1200cc engine - a number of variants had engines of up to 2 litres. This was also the year that Amilcar built its C8 small touring car, which had the company's first 8-cylinder engine, a straight of 1811cc capacity.
In succeeding years, the engine was enlarged to 2 litres, and eventually to 2.3 litres. In 1932 the C series was discontinued after some 350 cars had been built.
Designer Edmund Moyet introduced the 5CV in 1933. It was followed a year later by the 12CV/N7 and the 14CV/N7, both of which used Delahaye engines. He also introduced a range of new C series cars - the Amilcar C/C3/C5 were produced from 1933 to 1935 with a range of sub-1-litre engines.
In 1934 came the Pégase which was produced until 1937 with engines from 2 to 2.5 litres and power outputs starting at 58hp.
Sadly, the combination of the heavy cost of motor racing activities and the crippling Great Depression took its toll. By 1935 Amilcar was insolvent and Akar and Lamy were forced out. Moyet and Saloman went on to work for Citroën.
In 1937 the company assets were bought by Hotchkiss, which produced Amilcar Compounds until WWII with independent suspension and aluminium bodies, and the then-innovative front-wheel-drive. Power came from a Hotchkiss-designed 1200cc engine, and the marque gained a new customer base. But the outbreak of WWII stopped it in its tracks.
The Amilcar brand was never revived after the war, though the engines from the Compound were used to power the Minerva, the last Belgian-made car.
BEST CAR: The CGSS
WORST CAR: The C8, for its engine, which was considered unreliable
WEIRDEST CAR: The 1924 Amilcar Model C4 boattail (above) with custom aluminium body by Carrosserie CH Duval of Boulogne fits this description, but it's also uniquely beautiful