1958 Facel Vega Excellence

Facel is an acronym standing for 'Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure-et-Loir' (in English: forge and construction workshop of the department of Eure-et-Loir). The company was founded in December of 1939 by Jean Daninos as a metal stamping company that constructed bodies for various manufacturers including Delahaye, Simca, Ford of France, and Panhard. In July of 1954, the company began production of complete cars and would produce approximately 2,900 examples of all models before the factory closed in October of 1964.

The first automobile produced by Facel was the Facel Vega FV, introduced in October 1954 at the Salon de l'Automobile Paris. It had a tubular chassis with a live rear axle and a double-wishbone suspension setup at the front. Under the bonnet was a 276 cubic-inch DeSoto Hemi engine that endowed the two-door sports coupe with a top speed of approximately 120 mph. Most examples left the factory with a two-door hardtop configuration, however, a few were built as convertibles. Since France imposed a tax based on the horsepower produced by the engine, these were not very popular in the home country, but rather intended for export. Over three-quarters of the Facel Vega FV (later models known as the HK500) were exported, as the 276 CID V8 was replaced in 1956 with an even larger 331 CID Chrysler Hemi engine backed by an updated transmission. 1956 was also the year that the company introduced a four-door model named the Excellence.

The Facel Vega Excellence wore a similar design to its two-door sibling, with a pillarless design and rear-hinged 'suicide' doors. The lack of a center pillar allowed occupants maximum enjoyment of open-air cruising along with see-and-be-seen viewing. It did, however, lessen the rigidity and degrade the handling compared to the two-door models. Built to American proportions on an elongated chassis from the FV Coupe, the Excellence had a footprint of nearly 17.5 feet long, a wheelbase of 125 inches, and weighed approximately 4,200 pounds. It was the only four-door model ever produced by the company. The interior was luxurious and comfortable, with soft and sumptuous leather seats, chrome fixtures, and a classic Facel Vegal dashboard with aircraft-inspired gauges set in a dash of the hand-painted wood grain. The wood grain theme continued to the back of the seats, along with a second radio head unit and vanity. The list of standard features was extensive, including such rare amenities as power windows.

Production began in May of 1958 with the first edition of the EX cars equipped with Chrysler's 392 cubic-inch Hemi V8. By the time Face released the Excellence, this engine was virtually out of production, so only seven (as many as eleven) were built as equipped. These versions were visually distinguishable by their hood scoop not seen on later models. The next iteration, the EX1 released in October of 1958, came with the 5,913cc overhead valve Chrysler 'Wedge' V8 engine fitted with a single Carter carburetor and delivering 360 horsepower at 5,200 RPM. It was backed by either a three-speed Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic transmission or a Pont-à-Mousson manual. Four-wheel Servo-Assisted drum brakes provided the stopping power, with disc brakes becoming optional in 1959. The suspension used a live rear axle setup with the front being independent with coil springs.

Between 1958 to 1961, a total of 137 examples of the Excellence were built.

The final iteration was the EX2 which brought styling changes, a 383 cubic-inch V8 with 390 horsepower, and chassis improvements derived from the HK500 and Facel II. The panoramic, wrap-around windshield was dropped and the tail fins were smoothed out. Turn-down door handles were added with improved latches. A total of eight examples of the EX2 models were completed by the time production ceased in June 1964.

The total Facel Vega Excellence production, lasting from 198 through 1964, was 156 units.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2021