Facel Vega Facel II, 1964
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Updated: 28-March-2024 19:41

Facel Vega Facel II, 1964

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Facel Vega Facel II, year 1964. Chassis number HK2 B167. Colour black with a pale beige (Magnolia) leather interior. This rare and very special Facel Vega was fully restored by Amicale Facel Holland (AFH). A photo reportage of the restoration is present. This fine automobile is in concours (show) condition!
This beautiful Facel II left the Facel Vega factory in Paris in March 1964. The automobile was delivered new to the owner of the French steel-factory Unisor.

The car has spent many decades in France; at the start of the new millennium the car fully burned out. This due to a short circuit resulting from a bad repair made by a property caretaker. AFH purchased the car for its present owner who was looking for a ‘top-of-the-line’ Facel II to be restored regardless of costs. The restoration of this particular car proved to be the most difficult project ever completed in the workshops of AFH. On the other hand, the hardship resulted in one of the best and most beautiful Facel II cars in the world. The restoration started in the year 2005 and the work was completed in 2011. Over the last years this magnificent Facel Vega Facel II has won several first prizes at international concourses d’élégance in Europe, in 2014 at the Concours d’Élégance Paleis het Loo in the Netherlands and in 2016 on the concours at Schloss Ludwigsburg in Germany. The car is currently registered in Germany. A valuation report for the insurance is present, stated value 480.000 Euro.

As mentioned before this Facel II is a ‘top-of-the-line’ model; the car features the biggest Chrysler ‘Wedge’ 6.7 litre V8 engine (400 SAE bhp), twin four-choke Carter carburettors, Pont-a-Mousson 4-speed manual gearbox, disc brakes all round, power steering and air-conditioning. Only 182 Facel Vega Facel II cars have been built from 1961 until 1964, only 70 examples were given the manually operated gearbox. This is a unique opportunity to obtain a ‘top-of-the-line’ Facel Vega Facel II. A very rare automobile of the highest quality which was restored regardless of costs.

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The Facel Vega II is the follow-up to the legendary Facel Vega HK 500. The undercarriage of the Facel II is identical to it’s predecessor i.e. welded steel chassis, independent suspension with coil springs in the front, a live axle leaf spring system at the rear and disc brakes all round. The Facel II, however, is equipped with a more powerful Chrysler V8 motor (either a 6.2 Litre 390 bhp or a 6.7 litre 400 bhp). The 6.7 Litre motor of the Facel 11 has two four-barrel carburettors.

The body of the Facel II has little in common with it’s predecessor except for the fact that it’s appearance, like the HK 500, is stylish down to the last detail. The tail end and side window sections of the vehicle have the trademark "new edge" design which can be found in today’s concept vehicles from Ford and Cadillac; a mixture of sharp angles and fluid curves.

The Facel II also has an ingeniously constructed panoramic windscreen and rear window with extraordinarily beautifully integrated indicator lamps set into the top flanks of the rear wings. The interior, like the HK 500 is majestic; a beautiful mock walnut dashboard sloping gracefully away to it’s rounded corners, finely crafted handles and switches and sublimely comfortable leather seats. The Facel II also has many of the American novelties, which in the 60’s were simply well-built, robust and downright reliable pieces of equipment. The Facel II was an incredibly luxurious and expensive car of which only 183 were ever built. In 1962-'63 the Facel II was one of the fastest production line cars in the world, continuing the reputation the HK 500 had built for itself in the years before.

Technical data

6.7 litre Chrysler Wedge V8 engine
carburettor(s): 2 x Carter AFB "fourbarrel" carburettors
capacity: 400 SAE bhp at 5400 rpm.
gearbox: 4-speed manual gearbox (Pont-a-Mousson)
top-speed: 126 mph - 240 km/h.
brakes: disc brakes all round
weight: 1800 kg.

Facel Vega history

The French company Facel (Forges et Ateliers de Construction due’s et Loir) was first established in 1938 as a manufacturer of stainless steel products for the aircraft industry. After the second world war Facel began constructing automobile bodies for Simca, Ford France and Panhard.
In those days, the company was under the leadership of Jean Daninos.
Jean Daninos had always dreamt of manufacturing his own design of super car; the "Grand Routier" or in other words, a luxurious, comfortable and practical 4-person sports car. 1954 saw this dream become a reality with the introduction of the first ever Facel automobile onto the market, the Facel Vega FV1, equipped with a powerful and trustworthy American V8 Chrysler motor.

The addition of the Chrysler motor meant that Facel was one of the first manufacturers to combine European styled body work with a big reliable American V8...
The Facel Vega's were expensive and highly exclusive but they sold well, particularly amongst film stars and the rich and famous. With the passage of time the newer models became increasingly more expensive as extra improvements and features were introduced. At the end of the 1950’s, Facel had a motor designed specifically for use in a smaller model, the Facellia.
Unfortunately, these motors had so many teething problems that the huge amount of warranty claims they caused led the company into serious financial difficulties. The last ever models of the Facel line were fitted with Volvo P1800 (Facel III) and Austin Healey 150 pk six cylinder motors ( Facel 6). In 1964 this proud automobile finally went out of production.
Facel Vegas are cherished by enthusiasts all over the world to this very day. This extremely unique class of vehicle can easily be placed alongside classic makes such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley en Lagonda. Even though Facel did not manufacture it’s own motors, it is safe to say that the vehicle commonly known as the "Grand Routiers" of automobiles is of absolute top class and continues to leave a deep and lasting impression.

© Marc Vorgers 

Amicale Facel Holland
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De Vesting 24
7722 GA Dalfsen
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