5,913cc OHV Chrysler 'Wedge' V8 Engine
Single Carter Carburetor
360bhp at 5,200rpm
3-Speed Chrysler TorqueFlite Automatic
Independent Coil Spring Suspension - Live Rear Axle
4-Wheel Servo-Assisted Drum Brakes

*One of only eight Excellences EX2s built
*1961 Paris Motor Show car
*Delivered new to the French Ambassador to Morocco
*The pinnacle of Franco-American style

THE FACEL VEGA EXCELLENCE

Open and airy in design, the pillar-less FV, and later HK500, was swift and luxurious—a unique alternative to a Bentley Continental or Maserati 3500. They were quickly snapped up by wealthy industrialists and glitterati alike, proving the company's slogan: "The Few Who Own the Finest". Improving on the concept, it was determined in short order that Facel's market could be expanded by adding a couple more doors. Only two years after the introduction of the first Facel Vega coupe, the Excellence sedan was unveiled.

Clocking in at just under 17.5 feet long, with 125 inches spanning between the wheels, and tipping the scales at 4,200 pounds the Excellence was made to American proportions—a Hermès suit in size 50, extra-long. Featuring elegant slab-sided styling with pillarless suicide doors (beating the Lincoln Continental to the punch by a full 5 years), a wrap-around windscreen and subtle fines held sway in the front and rear, respectively.

Inside, driver and passengers alike were coddled by soft and sumptuous leather seats, chrome fixtures, and the classic Facel Vega dashboard that featured an aircraft-like complement of gauges set in a dash of hand painted wood grain. In the back seats, the wood grain theme continued on the backs of the seats, along with a vanity and a second radio head unit. Power windows were, of course, standard.

Production began in May of 1958. Under the hood in the first edition of EX cars was Chrysler's 392ci Hemi V8, but this engine was virtually out of production by the time Facel released the Excellence, so only seven were built as equipped. The next iteration, the EX1 released in October of 1958, featured the 361ci, 360hp "Wedge" V8. Offered with either a TorqueFlite automatic or Pont-à-Mousson manual, the Excellence could reach 140mph with either transmission. From 1959 on, optional disc brakes hauled the big car to a stop. July 1961 saw the introduction of the final version of the Excellence, the EX2, which dropped the wrap around windscreen, smoothed out the tail fins, added turn-down door handles with improved latches, chassis improvements derived from the HK500 and Facel II mitigated earlier chassis flex problems, and featured the big 383ci, 390hp V8 under the front lid.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

Costing as much as a dozen Renault Dauphines when it was new, this example of Excellence EX2 graced the Facel Vega stand at the 1961 Paris Motor Show as the ultimate saloon for the rulers of the universe. Recently refreshed with a cleaner look we would now describe as 'Mid-Century', it was a car fit for kings—indeed the King of Morocco ordered one and received chassis C003—which preceded this car down the assembly line.

Sold new to Roger Seydoux, the Minister Plenipotentiary and French Ambassador to Morocco, the car was fitted with flag posts on the front fenders, air conditioning, tinted windows, automatic transmission, power steering, and power windows. Between this car and King Hassan II's EX2, a quarter of the model's production resided in Morocco at the time. The Facel would pass through three other owners before joining the present collection in 2010. Repainted in the 1980s, it was acquired by the penultimate owner in 1991 and service records on file show the gearbox and A/C were overhauled in France in 2007. With just two owners in the last 31 years, it has been on static display for the past dozen years and will require mechanical recommissioning prior to active use.

With its unique, totally pillar-less four-door design, it will stand out no matter where it goes.