As I was perusing the eBay listing for the Dual Ghia we previously featured in this series, another blue two-door classic appeared as a recommended listing at the bottom of the page. It’s from the same seller as the Ghia, and is remarkably similar in concept, execution, and customer.
Presenting the Facel Vega Typhoon, from 1957.
Facel started out in the steel business back in 1939, making pressed steel aircraft components and various pieces of steel furniture. Facel was created as a division of larger parent company Bronzavia, whose main business was producing military aircraft. The company’s first venture into the automotive realm occurred in 1945, as companies like Simca, Panhard, Delahaye, and Ford contracted with Facel to produce limited-run coupe bodies.
The end of World War II, combined with technological developments in car production lead to lower demand for Facel’s two main skillsets: aircraft parts and coachbuilt cars. Facel decided it was time to enter the luxury car game and make cars of their own. A luxury car division was started in 1948, as the company continued to develop some bodies for other manufacturers. Notably Facel produced the body for the French market Ford Comète, which it would later develop into the Vega we see here.
The all-new Vega model made its public debut in 1954. Originally using 4.5-liter DeSoto Hemi engines, 1956 saw a replacement 5.4-liter Chrysler engine under the long hood. At the time France imposed a car tax according to horsepower figures, which ensured 77% of all Vegas would be exported to other countries. All Vegas were two-door pillar-less models, in either convertible or hardtop format.
Much like the Dual Ghia, the Vega was aimed squarely at the luxury customer, with a Connolly leather interior trimmed with a high level of workmanship. The aircraft-inspired dashboard also featured a padded center console, and was one of the first vehicles to implement such a feature over the transmission tunnel.
Continual improvement and evolution of the Vega occurred each year, bringing us this FV4 Typhoon model. As the model was developed, generational numbers were added after its model abbreviation “FV.” The Typhoon script on the lower fender is in reference to Chrysler’s 5.8-liter Typhoon V8 under the hood. Today’s example is a bit of a crossover – a 1957 chassis, and an engine not available until 1958. The seller notes it was not registered until the 1958 calendar year. Such was the way with small manufacturers in the 1950s.
Continual improvement of the Vega ended when the Vega II debuted for 1962. By that time the company branched out into other models of two- and four-door guise. However, subsequent models utilized a more mass-market approach to manufacturing, and quality concerns quickly arose. Funding faltered, production slowed, and Facel was defunct by 1964. Parent company Bronzavia is alive and well today, and still produces high-tech airplane equipment.
Today’s 1957/58 Vega Typhoon has been the subject of an extensive frame-off restoration over a seven-year period. The seller indicates only 37 of this particular combination Vega were produced, which sounds accurate given the nature of the company. It’s yours for a hair under $300,000.
[Images via seller]
WOW!
Wow is right. If ChryCo made DeSotos look like this, maybe they’d still be around.
Stunningly modern-looking interior on this thing.
That interior, minus the lack of headrests, still looks quite modern, at least in layout. Well if you don’t include all the analog gauges. Overall better than any car I’ve owned!
Indeed. Other than the large steering wheel and chrome interior accents, at first glance it could be a new car.
Much as I have lusted for and still lust for a Dual Ghia, this car might supplant it in my heart.
We North Americans really seem to overlook/underestimate the quality of the engineering and products created by the French auto industry for much of the 20th century. From Bugattis to 2CVs they had some remarkable autos.
In fact, Americans tend to overlook just about everything when it comes to the French, which is ironic – without them, we might still be singing “God Save The Queen” before baseball games.
Oh hell no. *Cricket* games, you yankee doodle dandy!
True…cricket, or soccer. Makes me glad we won the war.
Well Canada still has the Crown and cricket is still a minor sport here. And we took to soccer about the same time as in the USA.
In fact a Canadian invented basketball, the first ever ‘American’ football game took place between McGill University and Harvard in May of 1874 and of course ice hockey is a Canadian innovation.
Well Canada still has the Crown and cricket is still a minor sport here. And we took to soccer about the same time as in the USA.
In fact a Canadian invented basketball, the first ever ‘American’ football game took place between McGill University and Harvard in May of 1874 and of course ice hockey is a Canadian innovation.
The Chrysler 5.8 liter engine is a 354 CID engine, last used as a hemi in 1956.This engine is obviously a hemi, and the spark plug wire covers make it look like a 354. The 2 carbs make it look like a 300B engine from 1956.
the 354 did soldier on for 2 more years as a polyspherical head engine, but this one is clear not a poly.
Like the Dual Ghia, these cars used Chrysler components that were a year or 2 out of date.
John Paul Sartre lost his life driving a Facel-Vega when the suspension failed, a typical failure, I am told, of these cars.
I couldn’t sort out exactly which engine it was, so I went with what the listing said. And the basis that it had Typhoon on the side.
The alternator ruins it for me…
Anybody have any idea what that braided-steel line running in front of the glovebox is?
My bet is some kind of pointable spotlight. It’s easier to see if you boom the picture up.
I think Freed is right. For reading “For Your Eyes Only” documents before ditching the car and trying to cross the boarder while evading the guards.
I saw an old BMW with map lights like that.
Old B6 Alpina, methinks.
I’m guessing map light.
Edited to add: FreedMike was a little quicker.
Map reading light.
Map light. Some cars had them installed and hard-wired in optional trim levels(think the Ford Capri of 1970-1987), and some had them as lighter socket-powered flexible cable accessories. I have the latter in my Sunbeam Tiger.
Hey Chrysler!
Try aping this design instead of Bentley for the next 300.
Spectacularly beautiful cars. Sadly, I have read they don’t actually drive very well having a terrible front suspension design.
Also, IIRC, that “wood” dash is actually painted steel, which was very common on luxury cars in the 30s and 40s. Took a real artist to make it look real, and like real wood no two are alike.
Albert Camus died in one.
Now why would they do that instead of using real wood? Wood seems easier.
Wood dries out and cracks – steel doesn’t. Its amazing that they took that durability approach. Watch the show on Velocity called “Bitchin Rides”. In that show Dave creates some faux wood grain items. It’s very simple to do watching him.
I read somewhere that a wood dash was offered as an option. At least in the UK. Apparently there were very few takers as the metal one looked great.
Timely discussion: http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/a19506337/discovering-the-nearly-lost-art-of-hand-painted-faux-woodgrain/
Generally speaking, “something intended to look like something it’s not” is a (pun intended) faux pas in car design. Think fake convertible tops. Painted wood grain, IMO, is an exception.
Wood grain-painted iron mantels were something of trend in the 19th century; they’re pretty neat also.
It’s gorgeous. Thanks for the awesome find, Corey.
That said, it does rival the Ford D3/D4 cars for having a center console as wide as Texas.
Lol, always hating on beautiful cars with your practicality!
And for having deep slab sides that make the car look very tall.
What I noticed was the side window extension into the door aperture, which would surely scrape on rear passengers’ backs as they got in and remove some skin.
That’s just Facel’s way of making sure its’ buyers had some skin in the game.
You’ll be here all week!
I’ve been a fan of this car since I was a kid. And somehow never noticed until now, the Facel Vega script on the lower edge of the trunk, how elegant! I’ve only ever seen two in real life, the first was sitting beside a cabin at Sylan Lake AB with weeds growing out of the wheel-wells.
Love that straight up and down steering wheel !
Looks like this one has the 2-speed Chrysler PowerFlite automatic. The other option on these was a Pont-à-Mousson 4-speed manual.
I don’t understand the junction between the front windows and the rear quarter windows. It looks like they just overlap without a seal. That would work fine when the car is moving, but when it’s parked it seems to me like rain would just flow right in.
Or maybe the statement this car is supposed to make is “I’m way too rich to ever have to park outside in the rain.”
Ha, see above. I don’t think that’s the only issue with this overlapping glass sans seals.
Neat car. That “wood” dash is actually hand-painted metal – still looks great, though.
That’s nice collection of cars in the background. Any idea who the seller is?
Link to any sale listing will always be at the end of the article with the photo credit. ;)
Hey, I just got a new AMEX card. Perfect thing to break it in on.
That is a gorgeous car! I love the interior, looks like a Rolls.
Tremendous find! Agreed on the cool dash – very nice.
Just to be accurate, Sartre did not die in a car crash. He died in a hospital. It was Camus who died in a car crash.
In the Facel Vega article in Automobile Quarterly 14-3, the late author Michael Sedgewick mentioned that it was Camus, as well, who actually died in his Facel Vega.
I want it.