Facel Vega Facel II
Facel Vega Facel II with U.S. headlights (1962 )
The Facel -Vega Facel II (type HK2 ) is a luxury GT sports car, the French carmaker Facel SA 1961-1964 built.
The car was the successor of the coupe HK 500 and was regarded by the international press as the most beautiful car postwar France and as the fastest four -seat coupe in the world.
He was presented in October 1961 at the Mondial de l'Automobile de Paris and considered very enthusiastically. The visitors compared it with the creations of the best Italian designers. Its elegance is largely based on his lowered roof, which gives the Facel II a low and rapid silhouette. As of December 1961 it was produced.
The Facel II differs from its predecessor by the profiled headlights of Marchal - MEGALUX and the additional, circular taillights.
Technology
The car is equipped with a Chrysler V8 engine with 6286 cm ² displacement, in conjunction with a manual transmission 390 hp (287 kW) and 355 hp with the automatic transmission (261 kW) developed performance.
The performance at the time were extraordinary; the equipped with the automatic transmission Chrysler TorqueFlite car managed a top speed of 225 km / h which equipped with the manual transmission of the Société Pont -à -Mousson a top speed of 245 km / h Towards the end of the production period received some copies of the larger Chrysler V8 engine with 6768 cc and a power output of 400 hp ( 294 kW).
The front wheels were independently mounted on double wishbones, rear there was a live axle on leaf springs. The braking system had all four wheels (308 mm diameter front and 295 mm diameter rear) Dunlop disc brakes and a brake booster. On request, there was also a power steering as in Excellence, tinted windows and air conditioning, as well as the radio PO OM -GO -FM with electrically operated telescopic antenna.
Production and known owner
The car was very expensive and was until the cessation of production in 1964 in 184 copies ( see also Facel Facel III and 6). Also for the Facel II, the French luxury tax was to be paid, just as well as for the products of the French luxury brand Bugatti and Delahaye. This was a substantial disadvantage compared to foreign competitors, such as the Ferrari 250 GT, the Iso Rivolta, the Jensen C- V8, the Aston Martin DB4, the Bristol 408 or the models made by Maserati.
Some well-known owner of a Facel II were Lionel Bart, Ringo Starr, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Norodom Sihanouk, Tony Curtis and Charlie Drake.