Facel Vega

With the idea of creating a mass produced all-French sports car competing with the Alfa-Romeos, Facel eschewed its standard of American engines, and the Facellia used a 4 cyl 1.6 L DOHC engine built in France by Paul Cavalier of Pont-à-Mousson. The engine had only two bearings supporting each camshaft, using special steels, as opposed to the usual four or five. Despite the metallurgical experience of Pont-à-Mousson, this resulted in excessive flex, timing problems and frequent failures. The engine was pronounced a disaster and the Facellia with it. The troublesome engine was replaced with a Volvo P1800 powerplant in the Facel III, but the damage was done. Production was stopped in 1963 and despite the vision of it being a "volume" car only 1100 were produced, which is Facel's highest production number. Facel lost money on every car they built, the luxury car side of the company being supported entirely by the other work done by Facel Metallon, Jean Daninos's obsession being very similar to that of David Brown of Aston Martin.

The small Facellia met with little success and the losses from this, due to strong competition at the luxury end of the market, killed off the company. Facel exited the car market completely in 1964. What wa, according to some, the best small Facel, the Facel 6, which used an Austin Healey 2.8 litre engine, came too late to save the company, fewer than 30 having been produced when the French government scuttled the endeavour.

Being expensive luxury cars many Facels survive and they are by now quite desirable, and given the mass-produced American mechanicals, easier to maintain than many. Facellias are not difficult to find, though examples with the original Pont-à-Mousson engine are quite rare.

Models

Facel Vega HK 500

Facel Vega II

Facel Vega Excellence

Facellia

Facel III

Facel 6