1961 Facel Vega Excellence RHD

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I have been collecting Facel Vega's for 20 years now and it is time to reduce my personal collection so this is the first of the three cars I am putting on sale. This is really a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire an original Right Hand Drive Excellence. My car is a 1961 Facel Vega Excellence RHD. Chassis: EX1 B130 finished in its original combination of British Racing Green and Grey Leather Interior. This car is one of only 12 known to have been made and is one of only two fitted with Disc Brakes. It doesnt really get much rarer than this. they made twice as many Ferrari 250GTO's. Our car is Automatic and fitted with Power Steering as befits possibly the most luxurious car ever made! These were extremely expensive when new and sold in small numbers to the elite of society. Our car has been in the same ownership for nigh on 40 years and has been dry stored ready for restoration for the majority of this time. I have started the restoration and the chassis/running gear has been finished and the car actually drives. It needs trim. paint. polishing of steel. and final assembly. The car was bought new by Lord Brabourne and has a known history from new. The prices of Facels are starting to climb. as they should. and I have not seen another RHD Excellence on sale in 20 years. there may only be about 4 or 5 left. So here it is. lots of work done but lots left to do. The car is 99% complete.

In the wake of the end of WWII. France witnessed the bulk of their luxury car makers fizzle out of business. Bugatti. Delahaye. and Talbot-Lago had all either left the market or we're hanging by a thread by the mid-50s. It was out of these ashes that Facel Vega sprung forth onto the market. Founded in 1939 by Jean Daninos. Facel. an acronym standing for FACEL 'Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure-et-Loir' (in English: forge and construction workshop of the department of Eure-et-Loir). was a metal stamping company that built bodies for the likes of Panhard. Simca. and the aforementioned Delahaye. It was in 1954 the company decided to go into production of complete cars. with its first swing at the market coming in the form of a sleek and sporting coupe. designed by Daninos. and powered by a reliable Chrysler Hemi V8.

Open and airy in design. the pillar-less FV. and later HK500. was swift and luxurious—a unique alternative to a Bentley Continental or Maserati 3500. They were quickly snapped up by wealthy industrialists and glitterati alike. proving the company's slogan: "The Few Who Own the Finest". Improving on the concept. it was determined in short order that Facel's market could be expanded by adding a couple more doors. Only two years after the introduction of the first Facel Vega coupe. the Excellence sedan was unveiled.

Clocking in at just under 17. 5' long. with 125" spanning between the wheels. and tipping the scales at 4. 00 pounds the Excellence was made to American proportions—a Hermès suit in size 50. extra long. Featuring elegant slab sided styling with pillarless suicide doors (beating the Lincoln Continental to the punch by a full 5 years). a wrap-around windscreen and subtle fines held sway in the front and rear. respectively.

Inside. driver and passengers alike were coddled by soft and sumptuous leather seats. chrome fixtures. and the classic Facel Vega dashboard that featured an aircraft-like complement of gauges set in a dash of hand painted wood grain. In the back seats. the wood grain theme continued on the backs of the seats. along with a vanity and a second radio head unit. Power windows where. of course. standard.

Production began in May of 1958. Under the hood in the first edition of EX cars was Chrysler's 392ci Hemi V8. but this engine was virtually out of production by the time Facel released the Excellence. so only seven were built as equipped. The next iteration. the EX1 released in October of 1958. featured the 361ci. 360hp "Wedge" V8. Offered with either a TorqueFlite automatic or Pont-à-Mousson manual. the Excellence could reach 140mph with either transmission. From 1959 on. optional disc brakes hauled the big car to a stop.

Please be quick. if you want to add this to your collection. as we will not see another for sale in our lifetime.

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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