Facel Vega Facel II
| Facel Vega Facel II | |
|---|---|
Facel Vega HK500 |
The Facel Vega 'Facel II' is a
By 1962, the Paris-based company
The
Features
The Facel II was introduced at the 1961
Like its predecessor, the Facel Vega HK500, the Facel II was a heavy vehicle, weighing 1,880 kg (4,145 lb) (37 cwt) 'dry' and well over two tons with four passengers and a full petrol tank. There may have been some question about its ride and rear suspension[9] – it used suspension virtually unchanged from the previous HK500 – but certainly none about its speed[10] or glamour.
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Contemporary reviews
England's Autocar said of it:
To step down into a Facel II and go motoring must be the ambition of many who can never fulfil it. Such an experience is reserved for the few who can afford to buy one and for their friends and acquaintances.[11]
Said Motor:
There are faster sports cars, although very few, and there are more refined and luxurious saloons, but it is difficult to think of a more remarkable combination of these rather conflicting qualities. ... its unique combination of qualities left the most vivid impression on everyone who drove it. In particular one remembers the smoothness and silence, the effortless gait of a car which does 100 mph (160 km/h) at only 3,650 rpm. and the acceleration which leaves other fast cars far behind on every straight. One can enjoy the latest refinements of American brute force with European standards of control in an environment of British luxury and French elegance.[12]
Demise
In August 1961 Jean Daninos was obliged to offer his resignation[13] and in 1964 the Facel company went into receivership, largely due to warranty claims against Facel Vega's smaller Facellia with its troublesome 'in-house' engine. As a result, Facel II production had to be discontinued with only 180[14] Facel IIs ever built.
Owners
The Facel II was very expensive—considerably more expensive than an Aston Martin DB4 and approaching three times the price of an E-type Jaguar;
Collectibility
Regarded by some today as one of the more handsome automobiles ever made,[17] the remaining Facel IIs are now amongst the most sought-after of all 1960s Grand Tourers. On 1 December 2013 Bonhams in London auctioned the partially restored ex-Ringo Starr right-hand-drive Facel II for £337,500 [= approx €407,000/$552,500 at the time].[18] On 6 February 2014 Bonhams in Paris auctioned a rusty and derelict 'barn-find' left-hand-drive Facel II in need of a total-rebuild restoration for €155,250 [= approx £129,000/$211,000 at the time]. On 27 June 2014 Bonhams in London auctioned a right-hand-drive 2-owner 'garage-find' non-runner in need of total-rebuild restoration for £122,460 [= approx €154,000/$210,000 at the time]. On 9 September 2017 Bonhams in London auctioned a restored right-hand drive Facel II for £315,100 [= approx €359,000/$428,000 at the time].
References
- ^ a b c d "Automobilia". Toutes les voitures françaises 1962 (Salon Paris oct 1961). 19. Paris: Histoire & collections: 15. 1200.
- ^ Automobiles Facel S.A. 19 Avenue George V, Paris 8me, France
- ^ 'Autocar' 6 July 1981 p 36
- ^ Sports Car Graphic road test 7-62
- ^ ISBN 0-7894-0159-2.
- ^ Sports Car Graphic's Road Test [7-62] of the smaller-engined 6.3 litre by Bernard Cahier recorded a top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h) averaged over a two-way run and acceleration to 100 mph in 17.0 seconds
- ^ 'Facel Vega' by Jean Daninos: Editions E.P.A Paris 1981, p. 130
- ^ Including the one belonging to Ringo Starr: Autocar 6 June 1981 p 36.
- ^ See 'Autocar' & 'Motor' road tests as below. But Bernard Cahier, the racing driver who tested the Facel II for Sports Car Graphic, wrote [Test no 7-62], "When driving really fast, our Facel seemed particularly at home on the fast-bend-and-esses type of curves on which the car was rock steady with practically no lean or rolling. In this respect the Facel II is about the finest automobile that I can think of for sheer stability".
- ^ The English-language Owner's Manual advised (p.9): "Hold the steering wheel with both hands except when changing gear – Stay as close as possible to the centre of the road – Do not look at anything else but the road – Do not smoke – Do not change stations on the radio – Do not talk".
- ^ Autocar Road Test 3 August 1962 p175
- ^ Motor road test 36/62 p 81
- ^ Automobilia: Toutes les voitures françaises 1962 (salon Paris oct 1961) (Paris: Histoire & collections) Nr. 19: Page 15. 1200
- ^ 'Facel Vega' by Jean Daninos: Editions E.P.A Paris 1981 p.132 but other sources suggest, possibly more accurately, that 182-184 Facel IIs were completed
- ^ See Autocar Road Test 3 August 1962: £5,570 basic in Britain: 73,500 Fr francs, over $12,000 US: considerably more expensive than an Aston Martin DB4[£4,084: Autocar 13 October 1961] and approaching three times the price of an E-type Jaguar [£2,196: Autocar 24 March 1961]. A substantial London house could then be bought for what a Facel II then cost.
- ^ For whose car a US car dealer was asking $400,000 in 1991: there has been dispute over whether it was ever in fact owned by Picasso
- ^ In 2008 the Facel II was voted by The British Daily Telegraph readers as one of the "Most Beautiful Cars of All Time" [13 March 2008]
- ^ In August 2009, and, during the biggest recession since World War II, Goodings & Company auctioned a 1962 Facel II [lot 50] for $203,500 [= approx. 142,218€/£124,092]. In October 2011 Artcurial of Paris auctioned a somewhat modified 1963 Facel II [lot 136] for 204,445€ [= approx $280,000/£176,000]. In November 2011, Godin Banks Ltd of Mereworth in Kent, UK, were asking £225,000 [= approx 260,000€/$360,00] for one of the 23 remaining RHD Facel IIs