Makes › Facel Vega › Excellence · Rare production · 1958–1964 Extremely Rare
Facel Vega
Excellence
Pillarless four-door V8 luxury saloon (EX1 and EX2 series)
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 153 Built
- Years
- 1958–1964
- Engine
- 5,920 cc / 5.9 LFactory: 361 cu in · converted
- Power
- 268 kW / 365 PSFactory: 360 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 225 km/hFactory: 140 mph · converted
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Excellence was the four-door Facel Vega, a pillarless luxury sedan aimed at the Bentley and Cadillac class and a rare French attempt at a prestige saloon after the war. It combined a Facel-built body with Chrysler V8 power, and its very small production makes it one of the scarcest big sedans of its era.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Facel Vega Excellence (Wikimedia Commons: Facel Vega Excellence)
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Facel Vega Excellence (Wikimedia Commons: Facel Vega Excellence)
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Facel Vega Excellence (Wikimedia Commons: Facel Vega Excellence)
Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0
Facel Vega Excellence (Wikimedia Commons: Facel Vega Excellence)
Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model production145 Series 1 and 8 Series 2 | 1531 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The Excellence was shown at the Paris Salon in October 1956 with a 4.8-litre Chrysler V8 of 250 PS, and was sold from 1957 with a larger 260 PS engine and a Chrysler automatic or Pont-a-Mousson manual gearbox. Later cars used a 5.9-litre engine of 360 PS, and disc brakes appeared in 1959.
A Bonhams catalogue describes three series: a first edition with the 392 cu in Hemi (seven built), the EX1 from October 1958 with the 361 cu in wedge V8, and the EX2 from July 1961 with a 383 cu in, 390 hp engine, a flatter windscreen and improved chassis. It lists 137 EX1 and eight EX2 cars. The pillarless doors were a known weak point and the Excellence stayed in the range until 1964.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Excellence.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine manufacturer | Chrysler2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 5,920 cc / 5.9 LFactory: 361 cu in · converted2 Independently researchedEX1 engine. First edition 392 cu in (7 built), EX2 383 cu in. French source: 4,768 cc / 250 PS at launch, 4,940 cc / 260 PS from 1957, then 5.9 L / 360 PS. |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 268 kW / 365 PSFactory: 360 hp · converted2 Independently researchedEX1; EX2 390 hp. French source quotes 360 ch for the 5.9 L engine. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic or Pont-a-Mousson manual2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Disc brakes optional from 1959; four-wheel discs on late EX1 chassis B0682 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 3,180 mmFactory: 125 in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Length | 5,330 mmFactory: 17.5 ft · converted2 Independently researchedSource says "just under 17.5 feet"; value is rounded. |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | 1,910 kgFactory: 4,200 lb · converted2 Independently researched |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 225 km/hFactory: 140 mph · converted2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | 8.5 s3 Independently researchedFor the 360 PS 5.9 L car, per facel-vega.com. |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Aguttes auction: 1961 Facel Vega Excellence Série 1 (Francis Staub collection) Level C
- 153 145 Series 1 and 8 Series 2
-
2
1960 Facel Vega Excellence Sedan, chassis B068 (lot 442) Level C Bonhams (Wayback capture)
- Chrysler's 392ci Hemi V8
- EX1 ... featured the 361ci, 360hp "Wedge" V8
- 361ci, 360hp "Wedge" V8
- Offered with either a TorqueFlite automatic or Pont-a-Mousson manual
- From 1959 on, optional disc brakes
- four wheel disc brakes brought the whole affair to a halt
- 125" spanning between the wheels
- just under 17.5' long
- tipping the scales at 4,200 pounds
- the Excellence could reach 140mph with either transmission
-
3
Facel Vega Excellence Level C facel-vega.com (Wayback capture)
- 100 km/h depart arrete en 8,5 secondes
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