Amilcar CGSS
The Amilcar CGSS (or CGSs) was a sporting car made by the Amilcar company from 1926 to 1929. The second S stood for surbaisse and the car was a lowered version of the CGS.
| Amilcar CGSS | |
|---|---|
 Amilcar CGSS 2-Seater Sports 1927 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Amilcar |
| Production | 1926 -1929 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Related | Amilcar CGS |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1,074 cc I4 |
| Transmission | Three speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 91.5 in (2,320 mm) |
| Length | 134 in (3,400 mm) |
Isadora Duncan, the American dancer, died in a CGSS when her silk scarf became entangled in the open-spoked wheels.
Description
The 1,074 cc four-cylinder engine from the CGS was fitted, but in a slightly higher state of tune, delivering 35 hp (26 kW). It was also available with a Cozette supercharger for those who needed more power. Thus equipped, a CGSS won the 1927 Monte Carlo Rally.[1] Driven by Lefebvre, it started from Königsberg (today's Kaliningrad).[2]
4,700 of the CGS and CGSS were made.[1]
Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan's fondness for flowing scarves was the cause of her death in 1927 in an automobile accident in Nice, France. The famed Russian/American dancer was the passenger in an Amilcar CGSS[3] when her silk scarf became entangled in the open-spoked wheels and rear axle, pulling her from the car and breaking her neck.[4]
References
- van den Abeele, Alain (1984-02-23). "Coup d'audace au «Neige et Glace»!..." [Audacious feat at the "Neige et Glace"!...]. Le Moniteur de l'Automobile (in French). Brussels, Belgium: Editions Auto-Magazine. 35 (789): 29.
- Hammond, Maurice A. (1969). Motorcade: A Dictionary of Motoring History. London: G. Bell & Sons. p. 119. ISBN 0-7135-1609-7.
- Lerner & Preston, History's Greatest Automobile Myths and Rumors Revealed, Motorbooks, 1st Ed. (Nov. 2012)
- Craine, Debra and Mackrell, Judith 2000. The Oxford dictionary of dance. Oxford University Press, Oxford. p152 ISBN 0-19-860106-9