VEGA FENCE OWNERS MANUALS WERE FITTED

Company advertised the Facel II as ' Le CoupГ© 4-places le plus rapide du Monde' ('The Fastest 4-seater CoupГ© in the World'). Jean Daninos, president, said of the Facel II, 'The HK 500 was the most interesting car we ever made but the Facel II was by far the best. The Facel II was to be the company's last attempt to create a luxury GT car in the French tradition. Before even aligning it, the fence body glided smoothly on its rollers, staying square relative to its position.The Facel Vega 'Facel II' was a French grand touring car produced by Facel Vega between the years 19.By 1962 the Paris-based company was facing bankruptcy.

Dunlop disc brakes were fitted on all four wheels and Hydrosteer power steering, leather seats, electric windows and radio aerial all became standard during the production run, with Armstrong Selecta-Ride shock-absorbers adjustable from the dash while driving fitted to the right-hand-drive British models. With a French Pont-a-Mousson four-speed manual gearbox the full-four-seater 6.3 litre Facel II could attain over 150В mph (247В km/h) and out-accelerate two-seat GTs such as the Aston Martin DB4, Ferrari 250 GT and 'gull-wing' Mercedes-Benz 300SL, to 60В mph (97В km/h) and all except the Ferrari to 100В mph (160В km/h). Using Chrysler's three-speed automatic gearbox, the 6.3-litre Facel II could reach over 135В mph (225В km/h). Bernard Cahier, a race-driver who tested the car in 1962, said of an early version (without the later limited-slip differential) that 'the huge output of the Chrysler engine made it easy to spin wheels at light throttle pressure.'It was introduced at the 1961 Paris Motor Show, and was powered by a Chrysler 6.3 litre (383 cu.in.) 'Typhoon' engine which produced 355В hp (265В kW) if equipped with a TorqueFlite automatic-gearbox and 390В hp (291В kW) with a manual transmission.

Vega Fence Owners Manuals Were Fitted

There are faster sports cars, although very few, and there are more refined and luxurious saloons, but it is difficult to think of a more remarkable combination of these rather conflicting qualities. Such an experience is reserved for the few who can afford to buy one and for their friends and acquaintances. There may have been some question about its ride and rear suspension вЂ“ it used suspension virtually unchanged from the previous HK500 вЂ“ but certainly none about its speed or glamour.To step down into a Facel II and go motoring must be the ambition of many who can never fulfil it. Like its predecessor, the Facel Vega HK500, the Facel II was a heavy vehicle, weighing 1,880В kg (4,145В lb) (37 cwt) 'dry' and almost two tons with four passengers and a full petrol tank. The later manuals were fitted with the even more powerful 6.7 litre (413 cu.in.) Chrysler 'RB' wedge engine and were faster still. Many of the controls were airplane inspired.

Its looks, rarity, and performance led to famous owners, including Pablo Picasso, Lionel Bart, Lord Brabourne, The Chrysler Corporation (and Mrs Carr, Walter Chrysler's daughter), Joan Collins, Tony Curtis, Christian Dior, Stanley Donen, Charlie Drake, Max Factor Jr, Joan Fontaine, Ava Gardner (who bought three), The Marchioness of Huntly (whose car had full-harness seat-belts), Herbert von Karajan, Danny Kaye, Louis Malle, The President of Mexico, Princess Grace of Monaco, Yves Montand, Hassan II King of Morocco, Baroness Sally Oppenheim-Barnes, William S. As a result, Facel II production had to be discontinued with only 180 Facel IIs ever built.The Facel II was very expensiveвЂ”considerably more expensive than an Aston Martin DB4 and approaching three times the price of an E-type Jaguar вЂ”and highly exclusive. Demise In August 1961 Jean Daninos was obliged to offer his resignation and in 1964 the Facel company went into receivership, largely due to warranty claims against Facel Vega's smaller Facellia with its troublesome 'in-house' engine. One can enjoy the latest refinements of American brute force with European standards of control in an environment of British luxury and French elegance. And the acceleration which leaves other fast cars far behind on every straight. In particular one remembers the smoothness and silence, the effortless gait of a car which does 100В mph (160В km/h) at only 3,650 rpm.

On 27 June 2014 Bonhams in London auctioned a right-hand-drive 2-owner 'garage-find' non-runner in need of total-rebuild restoration for ВЈ122,460. On 6 February 2014 Bonhams in Paris auctioned a rusty and derelict 'barn-find' left-hand-drive Facel II in need of a total-rebuild restoration for в‚¬155,250. On 1 December 2013 Bonhams in London auctioned the partially restored ex-Ringo Starr right-hand-drive Facel II for ВЈ337,500. Race drivers Sir Stirling Moss, Maurice Trintignant, Tony Vandervell and Rob Walker and motorcycle racer Arthur Wheeler (motorcyclist) also had Facels.Regarded by some today as one of the more handsome automobiles ever made, the remaining Facel IIs are now amongst the most sought-after of all 1960s Grand Tourers.

^ 'Facel Vega' by Jean Daninos: Editions E.P.A Paris 1981 p.132 but other sources suggest, possibly more accurately, that 182-184 Facel IIs were completed ^ Automobilia: Toutes les voitures franГ§aises 1962 (salon Paris oct 1961) (Paris: Histoire & collections) Nr. ^ The English-language Owner's Manual advised (p.9): 'Hold the steering wheel with both hands except when changing gear вЂ“ Stay as close as possible to the centre of the road вЂ“ Do not look at anything else but the road вЂ“ Do not smoke вЂ“ Do not change stations on the radio вЂ“ Do not talk'. In this respect the Facel II is about the finest automobile that I can think of for sheer stability'. But Bernard Cahier, the racing driver who tested the Facel II for Sports Car Graphic, wrote , 'When driving really fast, our Facel seemed particularly at home on the fast-bend-and-esses type of curves on which the car was rock steady with practically no lean or rolling. ^ See 'Autocar' & 'Motor' road tests as below.

In October 2011 Artcurial of Paris auctioned a somewhat modified 1963 Facel II for 204,445в‚¬. ^ In August 2009, and, during the biggest recession since World War II, Goodings & Company auctioned a 1962 Facel II for $203,500. ^ In 2008 the Facel II was voted by The British Daily Telegraph readers as one of the 'Most Beautiful Cars of All Time' ^ For whose car a US car dealer was asking $400,000 in 1991: there has been dispute over whether it was ever in fact owned by Picasso A substantial London house could then be bought for what a Facel II then cost.