1959 Facel Vega HK 500 Coupe (RHD)

By the mid-1950s, all France's Les Grand Routieres, from Bugatti to Hispano-Suiza, Delahaye to Talbot-Lago, had all but disappeared, victims of the war and austerity that followed. Noted industrialist and car enthusiast Jean Daninos, having already built a small series of coachbuilt Bentleys in conjunction with his FACEL company in Paris, revived the concept of the French Grand Tourer with the new Facel Vega. Right from the outset, Daninos had envisioned his car would be a high performance, incredibly luxurious and ultra exclusive machine. Initially powered by a DeSoto V8 mated to a Chrysler Powerflite automatic transmission or Pont-a-Mousson four-speed manual gearbox, the first Facel Vega appeared at the 1954 Paris Salon. Styled in typically Fifties fashion, the original FV was a combination of American and European influences and managed to simultaneously appear both elegant and powerful. The interior was particularly impressive, as befitted a car with a price tag approaching that of a Rolls-Royce, with a deeply dished steering wheel, full instrumentation, plenty of wood and leather and exquisite detailing. The Facel Vega was progressively improved, first with Chrysler's new Torqueflite transmission, power steering and brakes, then in 1956 a larger 5.4-litre Chrysler V8 was adopted. For 1959, the Facel Vega was renamed the HK500, initially with a 5.8-litre motor then a 6.3-litre unit developing some 360 hp. When tested by Road & Track magazine in July 1960, the big French car recorded some impressive numbers, achieving 0-60 mph in 9.7 seconds and reaching a top speed of 130 mph. Production of the HK500 concluded in 1962, with 490 examples made and the customer book reads like a who's who of the period, with celebrities from all walks of life clamouring to own one. Today, the marque has a very healthy following around the world, with dedicated clubs and specialists in France, America and beyond.