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CDA
May 08, 2023
A prototype of the “world’s fastest four-seater coupe,” the Facel Vega Facel II, is up for auction and is expected to fetch more than $1 million.
The Facel Vega brand ceased to exist almost 60 years ago, but it still has many followers and admirers. Proof of this is that RM Sotheby’s will auction next month a prototype of its most successful model, the Facel Vega Facel II, which could reach one million euros.
Manufactured between 1962 and 1964, the last two years of the manufacturer’s activity, the Facel Vega Facel II was a two-door coupé that marked a return to tradition French bodywork. With ultra-sleek bodywork that featured a striking front end, short roofline, and punchy rear end.
Pablo Picasso, Christian Dior or Ava Gardner had one
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Despite attracting the attention of some of the most important names of the time, such as Pablo Picasso, Christian Dior or Ava Gardner, and considered “the fastest four-seater coupe in the world”only 183 examples left the factory before the company closed its doors.
It may interest you: Facel Vega Paris V, is the last great French car brand back?
According to the auction house, the Facel II prototype was made in 1959but it was not registered in the name of its first owner, brand founder Jean Daninos, until February 1965, a few months after the company closed.
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It features a classic Noire on Noire color scheme, with lots of polished wood and visible chrome throughout the cabin. The vehicle’s engine is not mentioned in the documentation accompanying the ad, but it is likely to be more powerful than the HK500’s 6.27-litre Chrysler Typhoon, which produced 385 hp. Whatever the engine, it is mated to a Pont-à-Mousson four-speed manual gearbox. The current owner spent two years restoring the car and as a result it appears to be in immaculate condition.
The Facel II cost almost €11,000 (or the equivalent of today’s €110,000) when it was launched in the early 1960s and is still an expensive car, regularly selling for around €200,000. This particular specimen should easily clear that barrier when it goes up for auction on Saturday, May 20. In fact, RM Sotheby’s expects the car to reach between 750,000 and one million euros when it goes up for auction.
