Here in the United States, the golden era of performance was signaled by the bright paint and booming exhaust of muscle cars. However, over in Europe, many automakers were busy battling it out for GT superiority. Between Aston Martin, Maserati, and Ferrari, there were plenty of cars that combined exotic looks with sporting performance, luxurious finishes, and long-distance comfort.To bring the fight to these bigger names, smaller manufacturers like AC, Iso Grifo, and Jensen looked westward for engine options. By shoving a massive American V8 under the hood, it was possible to make significant power numbers without the expense of developing a finely-tuned inline-six or a high-revving V12. A number of upstarts adopted this approach, including a lesser-known French automaker named Facel Vega.If you’re not familiar with the marque, its vehicles are well worth remembering, as they make for some unique expressions of automotive culture. Between their sculpted bodywork and their raw Chrysler power, Facel Vegas offered something unlike anything else on the market, and they remain distinct classics to this day. In our estimation, though, there’s one model in particular that truly sets the brand apart. Read on to take a deep drive through its history. The Facel Vega Facel II Had A V8 Mopar Heart 1962 Facel Vega Facel II - 1 Facel Vega Facel II Specs BonhamsFacel (short for Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure-et-Loir) got its start in 1939 as a metal-stamping company specializing in the production of furniture and aircraft parts. After the war, however, the outfit broke into the automobile industry by supplying bodies to Panhard, Simca, and Ford France.Then, with the founding of the Facel Vega marque in 1954, Jean Daninos made the firm's entry official. In his efforts to revive French coachbuilding, Daninos had to turn to the United States for the powerplant, as there was nothing suitable domestically. Facel Vega incorporated a number of Chrysler V8s throughout its lineup, but we'll be focusing on the Facel II for today. Jean Daninos Gave The Facel II Wedge V8 Power Facel's initial offerings came in the form of the FV and FVS (Facel Vega and Facel Vega Sport), followed by the HK500, the Excellence, and the Facellia. The French brand first made use of Chrysler's 4.5-liter DeSoto FireDome Hemi V8 and two-speed Powerflite automatic before moving to the Plymouth 277 Power Pack polyspheric V8. From there, Facel continued to chase larger and larger engine capacities, such that, by 1959, the company's largest displacement offering had grown to some 6.3 liters. When under the hood of an HK500 coupe, the block enabled an 8.5-second 0-60 mph time.Designers started working on the Facel II as early as 1959, finally unveiling the production car at the Paris Motor Show in 1961. It hit the market as a 1962 model and stayed on sale through 1964, advertised as 'Le Coupé 4-places le plus rapide du Monde' (the Fastest four-seater coupe in the world). So, even though the Facel II tipped the scales at 4,145 lbs, its Chrysler 383 Wedge V8 enabled top speeds of over 135 mph. Moreover, when equipped with a four-speed gearbox, it could exceed 150 mph and outpace period rivals like the Aston Martin DB4, the Ferrari 250 GT, and the Mercedes-Benz 300SL in the sprint to 60 mph."The HK500 was the most interesting car we ever made but the Facel II was by far the best. It was totally elegant." — Jean Daninos Facel Priced The Model Comparably To Rolls-Royce Although government legislation had all but erased the French luxury car industry after the Second World War, Jean Daninos was undeterred when he founded Facel Vega. With the brand, he wanted to go head-to-head with the likes of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Mercedes-Benz. Accordingly, along with flowing bodywork and an opulent interior, models such as the Facel II boasted truly exorbitant price tags. In fact, when new, the Facel Vega Facel II went for some $12,000 here in the States, making it about three times as much as a Jaguar E-Type of the day.Now, at that price point, it's not like Facels were hot sellers. In the case of the HK500, the brand built 500 or so examples between 1958 and 1961, and production of the Facel II numbered even fewer at just 182 cars during a three-year run. Still, the French style made the brand a unique value proposition, while the American powerplant ensured real-world performance. From movie stars and entertainers like Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, Joan Fontaine, and Ava Gardner to racing drivers like Sir Stirling Moss, Maurice Trintignant, and Rob Walker, the Facel name attracted a roster of high-profile owners. Engines Were The Undoing Of Facel Vega Bring a Trailer Though Facel Vega managed to sell its vehicles to some pretty notorious clients, ultimately, the fledgling French automaker wasn't long for this world, and it closed its operations like so many other failed startups. In 1964, the company went into receivership, and it shuttered its doors just 10 years after being founded. So what happened? Facel Vega Facellia Specifications Hyman Ltd.Many of Facel Vega's larger vehicles featured a Chrysler V8 under the hood, but the firm also developed a lightweight runabout known as the Facellia. As such, in lieu of a heavy American big block, the little sports car instead utilized a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine built by Pont-à-Mousson. When mated to a four-speed gearbox, it produced 115 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque.Though Pont-à-Mousson had previously supplied Facel Vega with transmissions strong enough to handle the Chrysler 383, the company's four-cylinder was flawed in its design, and the block was prone to failure. Because it only incorporated two bearings supporting each crankshaft — as opposed to the usual four or five — the engine was plagued by excess flex and timing issues.The car was pronounced a disaster, and it was only after founder Jean Doninos was forced to resign in 1961 that its successor (the Facellia F2) hit the market. Given the cost of replacing the defective engines on the first run of cars, it wasn't long before Facel ran out of money. Facel Vega Facellia F2 Specs Engine: Volvo B18 Inline-Four Power: 108 hp Torque: 105 lb-ft Not even a new Volvo B18 was enough to help salvage the company's reputation. Only around 1,000 Facellia F2 coupes were built before production was halted. Out of time, Facel Vega would be no more. How Much A Facel II Will Cost You Today Bonhams 1962–1964 Facel Vega Facel II Valuations HagertyIf you're looking to get a Facel II for yourself, be prepared to break out your checkbook. Facel Vega built just 182 examples throughout the model's production from 1962 to 1964, making the cars highly valuable examples of French automotive history. They don't often come up for auction, so when they do, they tend to be priced accordingly.For instance, Hagerty values 'Fair' condition base models at $143,000, while the nicest 1964 dual-carb cars can climb as high as $426,000. To put things in perspective, a 'Concours' Bentley S2 Continental H.J. Mulliner of the same year will run you $390,000, and a 'Concours' Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II will run you some $419,000. The Facel might not have the same kind of name recognition as a traditional luxury marque, but it's just as valuable, and, in some cases, more so. Of course, the Hagerty Price Tool can sometimes skew a little optimistic, so it's best to check Classic.com for real-world data. Facel Vega Facel II Past Sales Low: $95,200 Average: $179,452 Top: $278,150 Most Recent: $219,173 Over the last five years, both the low end and the high end have worked out to be lower than Hagerty's estimates. In fact, the lowest past sale sold for nearly half of a projected 'Fair' sale, and the highest past sale sold for less than a projected 'Good' sale. Still, with an average result of just under $180,000 and a most recent sale of $219,173, the Facel Vega Facel II is comfortably a six-figure classic. The Monteverdi High Speed Also Had Mopar Power BonhamsBack in the 1960s, Facel Vega wasn't the only European automaker to turn to Chrysler for its engines— far from it, as a Swiss manufacturer by the name of Monteverdi also incorporated an American heart for its choice of powerplant. The resulting GT was dubbed the High Speed 375S, and it offered buyers the choice of a 7.0-liter Chrysler V8 making 375 horsepower and a 7.2-liter Chrysler V8 making 450 horsepower. Monteverdi High Speed 375S Specs BonhamsStahlbau Muttenz GmbH handled the design of the tubular space frame chassis while two Italian coachbuilders— Carrozzeria Frua and Carrozzeria Fissore —took care of the flowing bodywork. Monteverdi built the High Speed 375 as a two-seater (the S) before expanding the lineup to include a four-seater (the 2+2), a drophead convertible (the 375C), as well as a large sedan (the 375L). With the 1971 oil crisis, however, consumer interest in boutique automobiles waned significantly. In 1976, Monteverdi switched its operations to luxury off-road conversions in an attempt to pivot; though, come 1982, the company ceased production altogether.