Facel Vega

Facel Vega was France's last grand marque: Jean Daninos's Paris-built flagships paired Chrysler Hemi V8 muscle with couture bodywork and interiors of aircraft-grade theatre, and the HK500 and Facel II counted Picasso, Ava Gardner and Stirling Moss among their clientele. The company's attempt to build its own engine for the smaller Facellia proved fatal, and production ended in 1964 after barely 3,000 cars of all types. The V8 models are firmly established concours and rally favourites — French glamour with unimpeachable reliability underneath.