1954 Facel Vega 54 Prototype V

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 5, 2016

Photo – Artcurial

Facel S.A. was a company founded by Jean Daninos in 1939 to make aircraft parts. After the war, they turned to building bodies for other French manufacturers. In the early 1950s, Daninos decided he wanted to build his own car, an attractive French car using big Chrysler engines.

This very car was the first car produced by Facel that wore the Vega name. It was a prototype that Daninos sent to the U.S. for engine testing with Chrysler and then became the factory tester and demonstrator. It has some details that differ from later production cars, like a shorter wheelbase.

The engine is a 4.5-liter Chrysler V-8 making 180 horsepower. Once production Facel Vegas were ready, Daninos kept this as his personal ride and had its styling updated and repainted. It has had other owners over the years but it has never been completely restored. This is the first Facel Vega and it is as it was when company founder Jean Daninos owned it. It should bring between $385,000-$600,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artcurial.

Update: Sold $560,968.