Summary

Facel Vega FV4 with its original Chrysler 300C 4-barrel HEMI V8 and push-button Chrysler 3-speed automatic. One of only 68 hand built FV4's, at most 36 were equipped with this larger engine. Frame-off restored to a high standard by a Facel specialist.

Details

1958 Facel Vega FV4, with its original Chrysler 300C Dual 4-barrel engine and 3 speed pushbutton automatic transmission. One of only 68 FV4's made. One of only 36 made with this larger HEMI. This car underwent a full frame-off restoration. The aircraft building experience of the designer is evident in reviews of the FV4. Britian's 'The Autocar Magazine' wrote in its April 25, 1958 edition of the FV4, that in the over 50 year history of the magazine the FV4 was 'the fastest car in sheer speed, so far tested.' Nontheless excellence in design is evident in everything from the 'averaging of 14.4mpg for nearly 1000 miles' to stainless steel 'bumpers, a continuation of the body form, which are sturdy enough to withstand very heavy impacts without damage'. The Facel Vega was the brainchild of Jean Daninos, whose determination led him to recreate the classic French grande routiere exemplified by Bugatti, Delage, Hotchkiss, Delahaye and Talbot before the war. Daninos established Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure-et-Loir in 1939 for the manufacture of aircraft components, specializing in stainless steel. After the war, Facel built bodies for other maufacturers including Pininfarina, designed coachwork for the Daninos-inspired Bentley Cresta, precursor of the famed Bentley Continental. Building on the experience of these ventures, Daninos unveiled his first Facel at the Paris Salon in 1954. All models were hand-built in the short life of Facel. All were stylish, luxurious and fast. Naturally they were also very expensive and were bought by those seeking something distinctive. Facel Vega owners included Danny Kaye, Tony Curtis, Francois Truffaut, Brian Rix, Ringo Starr, Joan Fontaine, Ava Gardner and royalty who appreciated fine automobiles. Great racing figures of the time such as Rob Walker, Maurice Trintignant and Stirling Moss, used Facels to cover the distances between the race tracks of Europe at high speeds in comfort.