Facel -Vega
Just after the Second World War, France was without luxury manufacturers. All of its car industry concentrated on economy cars with small engine displacement. Founder Jean Daninos realized that there was a gap in the market, So in 1954, they started producing the Facel Vega FVS as a result. It was a big luxury coupe with the 275 V8 from Chrysler’s De Soto brand (the Telegraph).
Despite post-war Europe needing more time to be ready for such an expensive vehicle, Daninos managed to sell enough of them to fund more models and expand the lineup. Facel Vega presented the gorgeous HK500 and Facel Vega II in just a few years. But the real gem was the luxurious Facel Vega Excellence because of many reasons. It was a big, four-door hard-top sedan produced in just around 100 examples. All those cars used big Chrysler V8s. The company closed in 1964. But for 10 short years, the Vega was the best example of EU-American hybrids. The unique combination of continental style and US power made it a favorite with celebrities of the era. Dean Martin and Ava Gardner owned several models, for example.