Here is a French car brand that has been somewhat forgotten, Facel Vega. And this is somewhat normal given the short existence of the brand and the few cars produced (approximately 2,900 cars). During the Bonmont Sale, Bonhams will offering up this stunning 1964 Facel Vega Facel II Coupé with an estimated price of $US 180,000.
"The HK500 was the most interesting car we ever made but the Facel II was the best. It was totally elegant." – Jean Daninos, founder of FACEL (source : Bonhams.com)
If you want to see some of the cars sold during this sale on June 20th, here's a follow-up :
| Model | Estimated Price | Post |
|---|---|---|
| Lamborghini Urraco P300 Coupé | $US 150,000 | More |
History of Facel Vega II
First the story behind Forges et Ateliers de Construction d’Eure et de Loire aka Facel Vega, it was founded in 1938 as manufacturer of steel furniture, especially machine tools for the aircraft industry. After World War II, in 1945, Facel began to build car bodies for Simca, Ford, Panhard and Delahaye thanks to Jean Daninos (1906-2001). In 1954, the first model was introduced during Paris Salon, the Vega, a luxurious four seater with a 180 hp DeSoto Hemi engine.
The Facel Vega Facel II was produced between 1962 and 1964. It should be the car that would save the company from bankruptcy. But it wasn't the case... Only 182 examples were produced.
The Facel II was very expensive (same price as a Rolls-Royce) but as stylish and luxurious with high performance, many stars or racing drivers bought one including Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, Sir Stirling Moss...
Very elegant car and powerful, Facel advertised the car as "The Fastest 4-seater Coupé in the World".
This example was built in 1964 for the North America market. Purchased in 1969 in US, the Facel II remained in the hands of the same owner until 2005.
Specification
The Facel II is equipped with a 6.3 litre Chrysler Typhoon V8 engine producing 335 hp. With a four-speed manual gearbox, the car could reach 245 kmh / 150 mph. With these performances, the magazine Sports Car Graphic described it as a "luxurious brute" 😀.
This example is finished in Tudor Grey with red interior. So beautiful... great mix European style with American V8 power.
What do you think of this car ? Did you know the car brand ?
Sale
| Model : | 1964 Facel Vega Facel II Coupé |
| Where : | Bonhams The Bonmont Sale |
| When : | 20 June 2021 |
| Estimated Price : | $US 180,000 |
Sources
Bonhams The Bonmont Sale
Lot : Facel Vega Facel II Coupé
Wikipedia :
Facel Vega
Jean Daninos
Facel Vega Facel II
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Hello @haroldus thank you once again for another high level post. This car is very beautiful from some angles. You may not agree with me but I can see that other brands have taken inspiration from it and vice versa.
Overall it reminds me of a edgy Aston with hints of Mercedes (especially the front) thanks for another great post cheers
It's a beautiful GT of 60's... As it was competing in the same categorie of the Aston Martin DB4, Ferrari 250 GT or Mercedes-Benz 300SL, there is a family resemblance 😀
I have never heard of that car, but it is a beautiful car!!
!BEER
Facel Vega is a car brand a bit forgotten nowadays and as it was exclusively luxury models, rather rare. As you said, beautiful car. I wonder what the final price will be. 🍻
Never had heard of it before. The front end looks nice enough from an angle. Straight on it gives off a Tribeca vibe though. Minus the box in the middle of the front it would look a lot like a contemporary Mercedes, not a bad thing, but maybe they were consciously avoiding that? The rear fenders are a nice take on the early 60s trend of subdued 50s excess.
The coachwork is rather nice, especially the small fenders with the antenna :
I like the interior with this dashboard but I wonder what all these levers in the central part are for, it's like being in a Soyuz.
And thanks for the upvote 🙏
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