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1956 Facel Vega Is a Super Rare, Hemi-Powered Barn Find

When talking about European cars powered by American engines, we often think of the De Tomaso Pantera and the Shelby Cobra. But Europe has also given us the Jensen Interceptor and the rare Iso Grifo. Then we have the Facel Vega, a French-built luxury car with a Chrysler-made Hemi V8 under the hood.
1956 Facel Vega barn find 9 photos
Photo: on4fire/eBay
1956 Facel Vega barn find1956 Facel Vega barn findFacel Vega Facel IIFacel Vega Facel IIFacel Vega Facel IIFacel Vega Facel IIFacel Vega Facel IIFacel Vega Facel II
These cars are not only hard to find nowadays, but they're also expensive. It could be because the Vega was quite popular among celebrities back in the day, but what's certain is that some Facels can fetch up to $500,000.

And since they rarely show up for sale, I was surprised to stumble across a barn-found Vega on eBay. Yup, this Facel won't win beauty contests anytime soon, but it's one of those cars that commands a high sticker in non-Concours shape. Covered in a thick layer of dust and in need of a proper restoration, this Facel Vega is looking for a new home for a whopping $125,000.

For this amount, you get a classic that spent many decades in storage but still runs and drives. On the other hand, it's hard to assess its condition since the ad comes with only one photo.

This specific Vega is an FV2B, a version of the FVS introduced in 1956, two years after the nameplate made its public debut. It features a Chrysler-sourced 330-cubic-inch (5.4-liter) Hemi V8 engine that developed 285 horsepower back in the day. That was enough to send it flying to a top speed of 123 mph (198 kph).

While Facel built a few hundred Vegas in about 10 years, the FV2B saw daylight in just 74 examples. And it's believed that only 40 survived to this day, so it is indeed a rare classic.

Facel S.A. was a short-lived French manufacturer that started as a subsidiary of Bronzavia, which made military aircraft during World War 2. Founded in 1939, Facel started making coach-built bodies for some European automakers in 1945 and produced its first automobile, the Vega, starting in 1954.

Designed as a luxury car that would compete with American vehicles in terms of size and power, the Facel Vega remained in production for about 10 years. Main iterations included the FV, FVS, the iconic HK500, and the Facel II. Because no French automaker produced a large and powerful V8 at the time, Facel opted to fit the Vega with Chrysler-built engines.

The FV debuted with a 275-cubic-inch (4.5-liter) Hemi mill capable of 180 horsepower, but the French imported increasingly larger engines as the years went by. When the HK500 arrived in 1959, Facel's engine of choice was a 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) Typhoon V8 good for 360 horsepower. And legend has it that the Vega was just as quick as the Aston Martin DB4, Ferrari 250 GT, and Mercedes-Benz 300SL.

Facel also developed a smaller sports car called the Facellia, powered by a Volvo four-cylinder engine. But the company was already struggling to survive and, having lost financial support, Facel closed its doors in 1964.

The Vega was extremely popular with celebrities back in the day. Prominent owners included Pablo Picasso, Christian Dior, Ringo Starr, Stirling Moss, Fred Astaire, Anthony Quinn, and Frank Sinatra. It was also owned and driven by various Saudi prices, Hassan II of Morocco, and the Shah of Persia.

All told, if you have $125,000 to spare, this is your chance to drive in style like the celebrities above. The car is being sold by eBay user "on4fire."
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Editor's note: For illustration purposes, the gallery includes photos of a restored 1963 Facel Vega Facel II.

About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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