Forges et Ateliers de Construction d’Eure et de Loire SA, or Facel, was founded in 1938 as a manufacturer of machine tools for the aircraft industry. The company later diversified into the automotive niche with the construction of bodies for Panhard, Simca, and the stylish Ford Comete.

Most famously, in 1954 Facel evolved into a full-scale car manufacturer with the introduction of the Vega, a handsome and luxuriously appointed four-seater powered by a 180-horsepower DeSoto Firedome hemi-head engine. Production of the Franco-American hybrids continued through 10 models of escalating engine displacement, and the opulent cars proved to be quite popular with the A-list jet set. Indeed, actors and entertainers such as Tony Curtis, Danny Kaye, Joan Fontaine, and Ava Gardner all owned Facel Vegas, as did racing drivers Sir Stirling Moss and Maurice Trintignant.

The manufacturer’s original model line, the FV, evolved through seven variants from 1954 through 1958, accounting for 354 total cars. Featuring a trademark wraparound windshield, the FV2B entered production in April 1956, and after six months just 72 examples were built, including two cabriolets, of which the featured lot is one.

Chassis number 56 108 is understood to be one of 11 cabriolets built across the entire FV model line, of which perhaps just five are known to survive today. The charming FV2B was reportedly delivered new to the United States, and by 1969 it was owned by Jack Delany of Temple City, California. By the early 1980s the Facel Vega passed to fellow Southern California resident Vic Hawkins, and in 1985 it was purchased in nearby Costa Mesa by the respected collector and dealer Michael Schudroff. Mr. Schudroff exhibited the FV2B on several occasions before selling the car in August 2009.

Acquired by the current owner in October 2016, this rare cabriolet has been featured on the cover of the Facel Vega newsletter, and it has been shown at events on both coasts, including the Art Center College of Design’s Car Classic, the Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance, and the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, where the car won the French car class.

Equipped with power steering and a push-button transmission mated to a 354 cubic-inch Chrysler “Hemi” V-8, this rare FV2B cabriolet abounds in exquisite details like the monogrammed tail lamps, wraparound windshield, egg-crate grille and Robergel wire wheels. As a luxury grand touring machine, the car is desirably appointed with power windows and a power top.

Although a prior older restoration has begun to evidence a gentle patina, the Facel Vega still presents with characteristic grandeur in the livery of black paint and a black top over an interior of plush red leather upholstery. Particularly suited for collectors of French luxury cars or enthusiasts of Euro-American hybrid models, chassis number 56 108 would make a significant addition to any collection.