CG

CG was the customer-facing automobile marque created by coachbuilder Chappe Frères et Gessalin at Brie-Comte-Robert. The Chappe brothers—Abel, Albert and Louis—and their brother-in-law Amédée Gessalin had roots in prewar coachwork at Saint-Maur and executed special bodies for makes such as Delahaye. After the war their firm became an early French specialist in glass-reinforced-plastic bodies. Contract work included bodies or shells connected with Bosvin-Michel Speciale, Deutsch-Bonnet, Alpine and René Bonnet projects; Jean Gessalin, Amédée's son, drew a Renault 4CV-based coach whose form contributed to the first Alpine. Those cars retained their commissioning marque and do not become CG models. In 1965 the family built its own Simca 1000-mechanical Spider prototype and formed Automobiles CG. Albert Uderzo, later famous for Astérix artwork, designed the emblem. The production Spider 1000 debuted at the October 1966 Paris Salon. Type A1000 used a fiberglass 2+2 body on an original central-backbone chassis, with rear-mounted Simca 1000/Bertone-coupé suspension and driveline. The initial 944 cc 40 hp engine was underpowered for the price but finish quality was unusually high. Sport coupé/hardtop forms and 1,118 cc 49 hp 1000 S variants followed; fewer than thirty A1000s were made through 1969. The common 1000/1000 S names describe power/body versions of one chassis family. From autumn 1968 the B1200 S adopted the Simca 1200 S coupé's 1,204 cc engine at 80 hp, doubled the earliest car's output and reached about 185 km/h. Spider and removable-hardtop coupé were joined by a 1970 revision at 85 hp; the roof was later bonded in. Approximately 270–280 B1200-derived cars were built. CG's competition collaboration with Chrysler France/Simca began under Henri Chemin. The summer-1970 548, named for its roughly 548 kg target, stripped the B1200 for racing. Around twenty coupé and later spider/barquette examples were built, normally around 85 hp but available with a Constantin supercharger near 120 hp. Modified racers later carried still larger engines, which are not treated as factory generations. A more radical Chrysler-financed Simca-CG Proto MC began in February 1970. MC meant moteur central. Bernard Boyer led engineering with CG and Matra-linked personnel; CG built the bodies/chassis while Chrysler/Simca prepared Type 180 engines. The first car ran in July and raced at Mont-Dore on 8 August. Its mid-engine hybrid monocoque/tubular chassis used Porsche-derived transaxles and evolved from 1,812 cc to JRD-developed 2.16–2.31-litre engines, often around 175–200 hp or more. Coupé and shortened spider bodies changed repeatedly. Across three seasons sources credit 32 victories in 49 starts with Gérard Larrousse, Bernard Fiorentino, Michel Saliba and Philippe Renaudat. It was a joint competition prototype, not a showroom road model, but its distinct named factory program warrants a catalog row. The 1972 C1300 was the final road family. It used the Simca 1000 Rallye 2's 1,294 cc Type 371 at 82 hp or optional 95 hp Sport tune, revised and shortened the fiberglass body, and was coupé-only. Ninety-five were built through spring 1974. Published totals conflict: the well-supported family figures imply just under 400 road/race-derived customer cars, while another secondary catalog claims 517; no false exact lifetime total is asserted. CG could not secure Simca's preferred sports-car role after Chrysler-backed Matra introduced the mass-producible Bagheera. The 1973 oil crisis, French national speed limits and temporary motor-racing ban further crushed demand. Chrysler closed its competition department in April 1973, CG filed for bankruptcy, and the last C1300s left in spring 1974; Geriplast bought the moulds. Five rows account for every defensible CG-named vehicle program. 'CG 1600' historic racers are engine-swapped specials, not factory models, and a 2012 CG Sport revival attempt did not establish serial-car continuity.

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