Facel Vega Facel 3 1963 restoration
This 1963 Facel Vega Facel 3 is receiving a full bodywork restoration in our workshops. Elsewhere the car was dismantled, and some sheet-metal work was executed. As you can see in the pictures (car in grey primer) the earlier executed work is of a very poor quality… We have started the sheet metal restoration of the bodywork. As you can see in the photos the body is in a quite bad condition. Corrosion has eaten away most lower corners and edges. Many parts of the floor also must be renewed, this is not the easiest job because the Facel 3 body is welded to the steel tubular chassis.
Update: All the sheetmetal work was done and the car was painted in the original colour. Currently this fine Facel 3 is being build-up.
To be continued.
The 1963 Facel III is equipped with a Volvo B20 four-cylinder engine. The engine has a cylinder capacity of 1998 cc. and a power output of approximately 130 bhp. The engine is fitted with two S.U. carburettors. In the years 1963 and 1964 only 432 Facel III cars have been built.
Technical data
Four cylinder Volvo B20 B engine
2 S.U. carburettors
cylinder capacity: 1998 cc.
capacity: approx. 130 DIN bhp.
top-speed: 180 km/h.
gearbox: 4-speed, manual
weight: 1050 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