Enthusiasts of small French sportscars are always well-served at the Circuit des Remparts and this year, they will have a chance to celebrate one of the lesser-known marques when an exhibition featuring 24 examples of CG sportscars of the 1960s and ‘70s will take place as part of the Circuit des Remparts weekend in Angoulême on 18-20 September. A round table discussion dedicated to the brand will also be held on the Saturday.

Photo Amicale CG

Chappe and Gessalin started after the Second World War as coachbuilders, initially making truck cabs for Delahaye before moving into sports and racing cars. From 1950, the modestly sized, 20-strong company became pioneers of fibreglass bodywork, building up a roster of impressive activity working with Deutsch-Bonnet, Panhard and Alpine. When Alpine brought its own body production in-house in the early 1960s, Chappe and Gessalin decided to build a car under their own name, the CG. The new car was based on the backbone chassis CG had designed for Alpine, but using the running gear of the rear-engined Simca 1000.

In 1968, the company took advantage of the engine from the Simca 1200 S Coupé to offer a sports car capable of competing with the Alpine A110. This became the CG 1200 S, which was also marketed as a Spider convertible, with 280 units produced. By 1971, despite high manufacturing costs and premium pricing, the brand’s growing reputation and its involvement in motorsport allowed production to reach a steady rhythm.

CG cars were renowned for their high-quality fibreglass bodies with excellent finish and lightweight, agile chassis layout (central backbone). With Simca-derived mechanicals that were reliable and easy to maintain, it was a sporty, driver-focused car, close to contemporary Alpines.

The first oil crisis of the early 1970s took a big toll on the company and it finally closed in 1974. Despite its brief existence, CG left a distinctive mark on French sports car history, particularly through its strong competition record and its role in the development of fibreglass coachbuilding in the 1950s and 1960s.