A French luxury GT built on American muscle — elegant until it spins its wheels.
The Facel Vega Facel II is a French grand touring car produced from 1962 to 1964. It was Facel Vega’s final attempt to build a luxury GT in the French tradition. Jean Daninos considered it the best car the company ever made and described it as 'totally elegant'. Facel S.A. marketed it as 'The Fastest 4-seater Coupé in the World'. Sports Car Graphic called it a 'luxurious brute'. Bernard Cahier observed that its Chrysler engine made wheel-spin easy at light throttle. It used a Chrysler 6.3 L 'Typhoon' engine producing 355 hp with automatic transmission or 390 hp with manual transmission. With automatic transmission, it exceeded 217 km/h. Only 180 units were built before the company collapsed.
The Facel II was Facel Vega’s last French GT — made as the company faced bankruptcy.
2:14
Elegant Brute
Jean Daninos called it 'totally elegant'; critics called it a 'luxurious brute'.
3:43
Fastest Four-Seater
It was marketed as 'The Fastest 4-seater Coupé in the World', powered by a 390 hp Chrysler V8.
4:58
Torque Before Traction
Its torque made wheel-spin easy at light throttle — especially before the limited-slip diff.
6:09
American Power, French Collapse
It used an American engine to solve a French problem — and collapsed trying.
7:39
One Hundred and Eighty Reasons
Only 180 were built. Its existence confirms ambition — not endurance.
Worth your time?
Yes. Drive the whole thing.
3.5/ 5
What works
synthesis of French elegance and brute-force speed
marketing as fastest four-seater coupé
final statement of French GT ambition
What does not
balance refinement with performance
mask its American engine’s rawness
survive beyond 180 units
Drive it if
those who value decisive design statements over long-term viability
Skip it if
buyers seeking reliability, resale, or engineering continuity
The written brief1 min read
What the car is and where it came from
The Facel II is a French grand touring car produced by Facel Vega between 1962 and 1964. It was the company’s final attempt to build a luxury GT in the French tradition.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
It uses a Chrysler 6.3 L ‘Typhoon’ V8 engine, with either automatic or manual transmission. The automatic version delivers 355 hp and exceeds 217 km/h. The manual version delivers 390 hp. Wheel-spin is easy at light throttle without the later limited-slip differential.
What it gets right
It gets right the synthesis of French elegance and brute-force speed. Jean Daninos called it ‘totally elegant’. Sports Car Graphic called it a ‘luxurious brute’.
What it does not
It does not balance refinement with performance. It does not mask its American engine’s rawness. It does not survive beyond 180 units.
What it changed
It did not change the market. It marked the end of Facel Vega’s attempt to sustain a French luxury GT tradition.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for those who value decisive design statements over long-term viability. It is not for buyers seeking reliability, resale, or engineering continuity.
Is it worth your time
Yes — if you care about French grand touring ambition at its most urgent and unrefined. It is not a technical evolution but a final, forceful statement.
