Whilst it’s the oft mentioned famous Facel owners of that tend to grab the headlines – Stirling Moss, Pablo Picasso, Frank Sinatra and Princess Grace of Monaco, to name but a few – it is The Motor’s road-test conclusion that perfectly sums up just how spectacular the Facel II was when it was new: “One can enjoy the latest refinements of American brute force with European standards of control in an environment of British luxury and French elegance”
Chassis HK2-A122 was supplied via the UK concessionaires H.W.M. on 30th March 1963. Its first owner was R.S. ‘Dick’ Wilkins, a well-known motor sport patron of the time, often being listed as the entrant of the Rob Walker/Stirling Moss Ferrari 250 SWB. A gentleman used to high performance Grand Touring cars, he was the owner of the first U.K supplied Ferrari Daytona just 5 years later. A122 is one of the 27 Right Hand Drive examples, making it a very rare car indeed.
The Facel Vega factory history sheets document a further two owners up until the late 1960s, and we know for sure it remained in the country until 1997. At this point, it went abroad to Malaysia, returning the UK via Germany in2013.
Recent bills on file total around £50,000 that include a complete rebuild of the original engine, gearbox and notoriously tricky power steering. The recent paint and brightwork are excellent, the wheels and tyres new and the Coopercraft brakes effective. The gearbox changes faultlessly. This is a fine example of the stylish, elegant and deceptively swift Facel II in its original colour scheme of I.F. (Iridescent Facel) Blue.
