Beschreibung:

In its relatively short life, the French firm of Facel produced approximately 2,900 cars, all of which were stylish, luxurious and fast. Hand built, they were, of course, necessarily very expensive – the Facel II was priced in Rolls-Royce territory – and were bought by the rich and famous seeking something exclusive and distinctive. The roll call of owners includes royalty, politicians, diplomats and entertainers; Tony Curtis Danny Kaye, Ringo Starr Joan Fontaine and Ava Gardner being counted among the latter. Confirming that there was high-performance substance behind Facel's unquestionable style, they were owned and driven by great motor racing figures such as Sir Stirling Moss, Maurice Trintignant and Rob Walker. Founded by Jean Daninos in 1939, Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure-et-Loir (FACEL) specialised in the construction of aircraft components and metal furniture. After the war the company engaged in the supply of car bodies to Panhard, Simca and Ford France, before branching out into automobile manufacture in its own right with the launch of the Vega at the 1954 Paris Salon. Government legislation had effectively killed off France's few surviving luxury car manufacturers after WW2, but that did not deter Jean Daninos in his bold attempt to revive what had once been a great French motoring tradition. A luxurious Grand Routier, the Vega took its name from the brightest star in the Lyra constellation and featured supremely elegant coupé bodywork welded to a tubular-steel chassis. There being no suitable French-built power unit, Daninos turned to the USA for the Vega's, that chosen initially being Chrysler's 4.5-litre, 180bhp V8, while there was a choice of push-button automatic or manual transmission. Improvements to the first FV model were not long in coming and by the end of 1957 the car was being built in 5.8-litre, 300bhp FV3B form, the contemporary FV4 version being essentially similar though destined for export only. One of only 36 built, this extremely rare FV4 was completed on 27th July 1957. Factory options include distinctive and highly desirable Robergel wire wheels, power steering, power brakes, electric windows and tinted glass. Little is known of the car's early history apart from the fact that it resided in Northern California for at least 35 years before being purchased by Larry Gesiakowski in October 2004, at which time it was original and complete, though showing its age. Owner of WGM Restorations of Chicago, Illinois, Mr Gesiakowski painstakingly returned the Facel Vega to its former glory over the next four years. Facel experts Hans Rúhe in the Netherlands and Mark Morgan in California were consulted to ensure that originality and correctness were strictly maintained. As the original aluminium rocker panel trim was no longer available, a replacement was fabricated and hand scribed, typifying the expert care and attention taken during the rebuild. Despite its appearance, the Vega dashboard is not wood but metal (Facel was a metals specialist after all) expertly hand-painted in 'trompe l'oeil' fashion to resemble wood grain. An artist was employed to painstakingly recreate the work done in the Paris factory 50 years previously. Inside the boot, the fitted tool tray is fully equipped, even down to the spare Marchal bulbs. A book of photographs documenting the restoration work is included in the sale. After completion this stunning car was featured in the July/August 2008 issue of the AACA magazine 'Antique Automobile'. The Facel's quality is confirmed by its concours record; shown three times, it has received a 'Best in Class' award on each occasion (Palos Verdes Concours in September 2010; Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance in La Quinta, California in February 2011; and Greystone Mansion Concours d'Elegance in Beverly Hills, California in May 2011). An exciting combination of elegant European style and American V8 power, the Facel Vega is a worthy successor to the legendary French Grands Routi