Founded by Jean Daninos in 1939 as Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure-et-Loir, Facel began building special bodies for other marques before launching its own grand tourer, the FV, in 1954. A tubular chassis designed by Lance Macklin, double-wishbone front and leaf-sprung live rear axle carried a hand-built steel body powered — invariably — by a Chrysler or DeSoto V8. Approximately 1,800 kg dry.
Across a decade the same architecture ran through the FV / FVS (1954–58), the definitive HK500 (1959–62) and finally the Facel II (1962–64), gathering displacement and horsepower along the way. The pillarless four-door Excellence (1956/58–64) added a saloon variant. Facellia — the smaller four-cylinder sports car — is not covered here; its troubled in-house engine generated the warranty claims that bankrupted the company in 1964.
The FV / HK500 / Facel II family is the great Franco-American grand tourer: Chrysler drivetrains reliable enough to cross continents inside couture French bodywork built at Colombes. Owners included Stirling Moss, Ava Gardner, Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, Fred Astaire and Pablo Picasso; Albert Camus died a passenger in an FV2 in January 1960. The marque produced approximately 2,900 vehicles across its entire life — and 77% were exported, thanks to France's punitive tax-horsepower system.
Variants
Range and production
Variant
Years
Production
Notes
FV (1954–1955)
1954–1955
—
Original launch specification. DeSoto Firedome 4.5L Hemi V8, 180 hp; Chrysler Powerflite two-speed automatic or Pont-à-Mousson four-speed manual. FV1 (subsequent): 4.8L, 200 hp, wheelbase extended by 12 cm. Verify per-year build split against factory / Amicale Facel Vega records.
FV2 / FV2B / FVS (Oct 1955–1958)
1955–1958
—
Panoramic windscreen; FV2 4.8L, 250 hp; FV2B 5.4L (output quoted 255 hp / 285 hp — Verify). Sold as FVS (Facel Vega Sport) in the US. FV3 / FV3B: Plymouth 4.5L polyspheric '277 Power Pack', later 301 CID. FV4 Typhoon (1958): 5.8L, 325 hp, 425 lb-ft. FV/FVS total 357 (Verify).
HK500 (1959–1962)
1959–1962
—
Renamed, upgraded FVS. 5.8L (335 hp) then Chrysler 6.3L Typhoon V8 — 330 hp with TorqueFlite automatic, 360 hp with Pont-à-Mousson four-speed manual. Top speed 147 mph. ~489–500 built — Verify; Wikipedia gives 489–490, Bonhams states '500-or-so' and 'some 500' (107 right-hand drive; one specially built convertible out of the entire HK500 production). Dunlop discs became optional in 1959 and standard from April 1960 — early cars retained drums drawing poor contemporary press. FV/HK combined ~842 (846 also quoted — Verify).
Facel II (1962–1964)
1962–1964
—
Successor to the HK500. Facel II: 383 cu in (6.3L) Chrysler 'Wedge' OHV V8 — 355 bhp @ 4,800 rpm with a single Carter AFB and the 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic (Bonhams); twin four-barrel carburettors and the Pont-à-Mousson four-speed manual were available and raise output. Some sources (Premier Financial Services) report a 400 hp 413 cu in (6.8L) version offered at one point — Verify, do NOT assert. Dunlop discs all round; Hydrosteer power steering. 1,880 kg dry; 135 mph (auto) / 150 mph (manual). Suspension virtually unchanged from the HK500. Advertised as 'Le Coupé 4-places le plus rapide du Monde'. ~180–185 built — Verify; sources conflict: 180 (Wikipedia), 182 (Bonhams, stated repeatedly across catalogues), 184 (Artcurial), 'fewer than 185' (Bonhams).
Excellence (1956/58–1964)
1956/58–1964
—
Four-door pillarless saloon with rear-hinged 'suicide' doors. 156 built (Verify). Structurally less rigid than the two-doors — the pillarless body compromises torsional stiffness and handling. Rare and difficult to restore correctly. EXCELLENCE EX2: Bonhams records one Excellence sub-variant as 'one of only eight Excellences EX2s built' — the 1961 Paris Motor Show car, delivered new to the French Ambassador to Morocco, with a 5,913cc Chrysler Wedge V8, 360 bhp @ 5,200 rpm and servo-assisted DRUM brakes. Verify.
Buyer's Guide
What to look for
Body, structure and pillarless four-door integrity
Hand-built steel bodies on the Facel tubular chassis rust in the sills, floors, rear arches and — on the coupes — around the wraparound rear glass. For the Facel Vega family specifically, verify the exact variant (FV/FVS, HK500, Facel II or Excellence) and the exact engine against the chassis number and build documentation before pricing — the range covers eight different V8s and materially different brake specifications. On the Excellence, the pillarless four-door body with rear-hinged 'suicide' doors is materially less rigid than the two-doors and demands specific inspection of the sill and floor structure; survivors are rare and structurally-original cars are the priority.
Chrysler / DeSoto V8 identification and originality
Eight different Chrysler / DeSoto V8s were fitted across the FV/FVS, HK500 and Facel II range (plus the Excellence). Verify the exact engine — DeSoto Firedome 4.5L Hemi, Chrysler 5.4L, 5.8L Typhoon, 6.3L Typhoon or Chrysler 413 6.3L — against the chassis and build documentation; power figures were quoted very optimistically for the period and quoted output for the same engine varies between sources. Parts support is excellent through the US Chrysler network.
Brakes — the FVS and early HK500 drum issue
The FV/FVS and early HK500 used drums that drew poor contemporary press (Autocar tested one in 1958 and noted excessive pedal travel and fade). Dunlop discs became optional in 1959 and standard from April 1960. Verify brake specification against the chassis number and delivery documents; an early drum-braked HK500 is not a car to run at its indicated performance without a specialist assessment.
Trim, glass, chrome and interior originality
Signature grille, hand-fitted chrome, glass, wood-effect painted metal dashboard and leather interior are the most expensive elements to restore correctly and are Facel-specific. Verify panel gaps, chrome originality and interior against period photography and the Amicale Facel Vega record. Convertibles are exceptionally rare (11 of 842 FV/HK-series and one HK500) and any convertible offered must be verified against the marque record.
Pricing
What to pay
FV / FVS (1954–1958)
USD$90,000 – $145,000
GBP£70,000 – £115,000
EUR€80,000 – €130,000
Verified regional band for FV / FVS coupes; disc-braked cars carry a premium over early drum-braked examples.
HK500 (1959–1962)
USD$115,000 – $200,000
GBP£85,000 – £160,000
EUR€100,000 – €180,000
Manual Pont-à-Mousson cars and later disc-braked cars occupy the top of the band; the sole HK500 convertible trades individually.
Facel II (1962–1964)
USD£175,000 – £370,000 (indicative in GBP)
GBP£150,000 – £340,000
EUR€180,000 – €400,000
Roughly double an HK500. Verify — Bonhams London took £315,100 for a restored RHD car in 2017 and £337,500 for the ex-Ringo Starr RHD car in 2013.
Regional ranges authored independently — each reflects its local market, not an FX conversion
Ownership
Living with it
Typical mileage
1,000–4,000 miles typical
Service interval
12 months by time or 5,000 miles, whichever first
Annual running cost
$6,000 – $18,000 depending on condition and use
Fuel economy
10–13 mpg
Insurance
Agreed-value classic policy with limited mileage and secure storage. Franco-American GTs with Chrysler V8 drivetrains benefit from a specialist underwriter familiar with hand-built low-volume European coupes.
Body and structural corrosion
Hand-built steel bodies on a tubular chassis rust in the sills, floor pans, rear arches and around the wraparound rear glass on the coupes; the Excellence four-door is materially less rigid than the two-doors and its pillarless body is more demanding structurally.
Drivetrain vs coachwork sourcing
Chrysler / DeSoto V8, TorqueFlite / Powerflite and Pont-à-Mousson manual gearbox parts are well-supported. Facel-specific bodywork, chrome trim, glass and interior trim are the expensive-to-restore items and require the Amicale Facel Vega network.
Common Problems
Known issues by system
Body / structure
Sill, floor, arch and rear-glass surround corrosion
Original drum brakes vs 1959/60 Dunlop disc conversion
Major$3,000 – $12,000
Symptoms — Excessive pedal travel, fade under repeated application.
Inspection — Verify brake specification against chassis number and delivery documents; road-test fade behaviour.
Valuation
Current value bands by region
Each region quoted in its local currency — independent market readings, not FX conversions
The Facel II commands roughly double an HK500. The ex-Ringo Starr right-hand-drive Facel II made £337,500 at Bonhams London in December 2013, and a restored RHD car £315,100 in September 2017; even unrestored examples carry serious money — a derelict barn-find LHD Facel II made €155,250 (Bonhams Paris, February 2014) and a non-running garage-find RHD car £122,460 (Bonhams London, June 2014). HK500s typically run €100k–€180k. The market softened through 2024–25: a 1962 Facel II went unsold at Artcurial in September 2025 against a €220,000–€250,000 estimate, and a 1961 HK500 unsold at Osenat in November 2024 against €100,000–€120,000. BUYING CHECK: the FVS and early HK500 used drums that drew poor contemporary press — Autocar's 1958 test criticised excessive pedal travel and fade. Dunlop discs became optional in 1959 and standard from April 1960; disc cars are preferable.
Auctions
Recent results
Date
Auction
Car
Mileage
Result
2025-10-12
Bonhams
The Zoute Sale 2025
1959 HK500
—
€104,748
Sold
2025-05-22
RM Sotheby's
Milan 2025
1957 FV3B
—
€84,000
Sold
2017-09-09
Bonhams
London 2017
1964 Facel II
Restored right-hand-drive example.
—
£315,100
Sold
Sourcing and softer 2024–25 no-sales (Artcurial Sep 2025 Facel II; Osenat Nov 2024 HK500) are covered in the market commentary above.
Investment
Long-term outlook
Strong HoldHorizon: 10+ years
Small total production, distinctive Franco-American engineering and a durable owner following via the Amicale Facel Vega network position the FV / HK500 / Facel II family as a defensible long-term collector object. Facel II and manual HK500 cars are the natural focus.
