Facel Vega Facel II
The unusual combination of French styling, large American
engines and price tags high enough to guarantee the kind of
exclusive clientele that included Stirling Moss and Pablo
Picasso, enabled Facel Vega to carve out a unique niche in
the car market in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Facel II is widely regarded as the best Facel Vega,
albeit one that was unable to save the company from closure
following the disastrous move downmarket with the Facellia,
and has earned its place on The List by combining the rare
qualities of beauty, rarity and above all, sheer joie de
vivre.
Built on a revised version of the HK500 chassis, and
utilising a Chrysler 383 V8, which, in manual gearbox form
developed around 390 BHP, the Facel II had both film star
looks and the performance to match. Despite a fairly hefty
kerb weight, it is capable of matching the top speeds of
contemporary Ferraris and can do so whilst transporting its
occupants in complete comfort. Indeed, evidence of the car’s
ability to traverse continents at speed is provided by
Stirling Moss’ preference to use his Facel, rather than
planes, to travel between Formula 1 races in the 1960s.
The aesthetics of the Facel II are somewhere between
Aston Martin and the large V8 machines of post-war America,
albeit shorn of the excessive appendages and addenda of the
American dream. There is also a hint of Mercedes in there,
especially around the headlights, but the overall impression
is more mid-Atlantic than Mid-European. Unlike most US cars
of this era, though, it possesses a very purposeful stance,
appearing lower and more obviously sporting than the
be-winged and domed cruisers from Ford, Chrysler et al.
Inside, the seats are deeply padded, yet reasonably
supportive for a car from this era, and feel like they would
enable long journeys to be dispatched in comfort. The dash
is reminiscent of a contemporary Bentley - although closer
inspection reveals painted metal rather than actual walnut –
and the plethora of dials and switches provide the feel of
an aeroplane, albeit one that is far removed from today’s
cattle class transporters.
In many ways Facel Vega can be seen as a France’s answer
to the solidly British Bristol marque: large, unstressed but
powerful American V8s, tubular chassis and swooping
bodywork. The Facel II, however, is, arguably, more handsome
than any of Bristol’s offerings, and its French origins
imbue it with a certain allure that is difficult to
quantify. Perhaps the best analogy is to view the Bristol as
a Huntsman suit and the Facel as a creation of Yves Saint
Laurent.
