Description
OK, this is the coolest, most stylish, most beautiful car ever made, full stop, no argument, we dont want to discuss it! One of the most expensive cars made in the Sixties and still as desirable today, this is one only 26 Right Hand Drive Facel II's ever made, fully restored, in the perfect colours, with the perfect Spec, Auto and Power Stering, you have more chance of finding a Ferrari 250 GTO!
Some of the most exciting and flamboyant sports cars in history were produced in Paris and its surrounding areas through the first half of the 20th century: Delahaye, Delage, Talbot Lago and Panhard to name a few luminaries. Unfortunately, performance and the French government’s extreme post-war taxation of higher horsepower vehicles did not mix. As a result, French performance automobiles were literally killed off by the mid-1950s, something Jean Daninos intended to change. Daninos was an industrialist who employed 2, 000 workers in his four FACEL factories and manufactured everything from kitchen sinks and office furniture to scooters and combustion chambers for deHavilland and Rolls-Royce jet engines. When Panhard cancelled manufacturing plans of their new model at Daninos’ Colombes plant, Jean saw his opportunity to build a great luxury performance vehicle that would once again bring worldwide prominence to a Paris-built car. Of course, due to French taxation he would have to manufacture his Facel cars mostly for export.
As a replacement for the stylish HK500, the Facel II was introduced at the Paris Salon of October 1961 and was the flagship model of the Facel Vega range. A foreign powerplant would best ensure the success of such an export venture, which led to Daninos selecting the technically superior Chrysler V-8 engine. The Facel II had excellent performance and was a capable high-speed tourer; the engine was rated by the factory at 355 horsepower and could sprint from 0-60 mph in 7. 8 seconds with a top speed of 134 mph. The intoxicating blend of exquisite French styling and American power made the Facel II a desirable car that has always been appreciated by car collectors with a keen eye for unusual design. All told, only about 26 right-hand drive cars were sold, presumably due to the high purchase price of £5, 570 in 1962, when a new Aston Martin DB4 was £3, 967!
Intercontinental Cars, a subsidiary of HWM, imported this particular Facel II into the UK. The car was specified with an automatic gearbox and power steering and was originally finished in Metallic Grey coachwork with Red Leather hide, as it presents today. It was first registered 20 March, 1964 and supplied through Lazenby Garages of Rothley in Leicestershire to Gee Advertising Ltd. with its original registration GEE 999. In April 1965 the car was sold to Birds Swansea Ltd. on the registration number BB45 after having covered 20, 000 miles. Well-known car collector George Milligan acquired it in August 1968 following a “wanted” advertisement he had placed in a motoring magazine. The car joined another Facel II in his stable and remained with him until 1981, whereupon it was sold to Hamish McAlpine who kept the car until the 1990s. Mr. McAlpine sold the car to French film producer Daniel Carrillo, a noted French car collector who kept it for over 10 years. The car then was purchased by a French dignitary who took the car to his castle in Normandy, this is where I first saw the car, it was the first of the many Facel II's I have owned over the years. I bought the car in 2008 and took her back to the UK to reknown UK restorer Alan Carrington, who embarked upon a full restoration with parts supplied by Hans Ruhe, the Facel Vega specialist in Holland.
The body was stripped to bare metal and restored with new metal where necessary. The car was painted in Gunmetal Grey metallic, and the chassis was detailed at the same time. The suspension was dismantled and restored with new shock absorbers all around and new Coopercraft brakes. A full re-trim of the interior was carried out, the seats were re-trimmed in red leather, a red cloth headlining was fabricated, and every rubber seal was replaced with a new item. The dashboard was restored correctly, as was the wooden rim steering wheel. The power steering system was rebuilt, and five new stainless steel wire wheels and correct Dunlop tyres were also fitted. The car was beautiful, far to good to use! I took the Facel on a fascinating road trip feature in the April 2012 issue of Classic & Sports Car in which it was driven to France with the journalist Ross Alhureshi . The car is accompanied by a copy in which it appears. Later in 2012, the Facel Vega was sold to a Hong Kong-based owner and it is understood that the car was briefly exported to Asia, while in November 2017 it was acquired by its previous owner and returned to the UK. In December 2023, the Facel II was recommissioned by The Light Car Company Ltd of Oxfordshire, who renewed the fuel system and returned the car to running condition with work totalling £7, 769. She remains to this day in a beautiful condition. With detailing of the engine bay etc, she could return to Concourse condition quite easily.
A right-hand drive Facel II is rarely offered on the market, let alone a Fully Restored car, in the most stunning colour combination. With only 26 examples made, this may very well be the only opportunity for many years to come.
There are 50 photos, a walk-around video and more info on - details above.
