Facel Vega Facellia

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Facel Vega
Facel Vega Facellia F2 Coupe 4 Pl. (1961)
Facel Vega Facellia F2 Coupe 4 Pl. (1961)
Facellia
Production period: 1960-1963
Class : Middle class
Body versions : Coupé , convertible
Engines: Petrol engines :
1.65 liters
(85–93 kW)
Length: 4120 mm
Width: 1580 mm
Height: 1270-1290 mm
Wheelbase : 2450 mm
Empty weight : 1050 kg
successor Facel III
Facel Vega Facellia F2 Coupe 4 Pl. (Rear view)

The Facel Vega Facellia (Type FA ) was a sporty car that the French car manufacturer Facel SA built from 1960 to 1963. The car arose from the idea of Jean Daninos to create a smaller model as a competitor to the cars from Alfa Romeo , Porsche and Triumph . At that time, these competing products were the measure of all things in the field of medium-sized sports cars. Construction work began in 1957 and in September 1959 the new, small car was presented to the public at the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris . His “godfather” was the British racing driver Stirling Moss , who was already a Facel customer. Finally, in October 1959, the Facellia was one of the great novelties of the Mondial de l'Automobile de Paris ; from here 1000 orders were received by the end of the year. The model was homologated in March 1960 and the first examples were delivered in the summer. There was a two-seater convertible, a four- and a 2 + 2-seater coupé. With its elegant body, the latter looked similar to a convertible with a hardtop .

technology

The Facellia largely followed the technical line of the brand's large eight-cylinder models. It had a tubular frame chassis, an all-steel body, independent suspension at the front and a rigid axle at the rear. Unlike its larger sister models, the Facellia was limited to "more European" dimensions. The steering came from Gemmer France and the production models received disc brakes from Dunlop . Instead of an imported engine, a new engine was developed by Société Pont-à-Mousson (PAM) on behalf of Facel. This manufacturer has already supplied manual transmissions and drum brakes for some eight-cylinder models to Facel. Pont-à-Mousson already had plans for a six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2.8 liters. This engine with two overhead camshafts was designed by the Italian engineer Carlo Marchietti for Pont-à-Mousson, but Facel did not accept it for its large model. A four-cylinder unit with a displacement of 1646 cm³ was derived from this (bore × stroke: 82 × 78 mm), which matched the Facellia's initial specifications. This stipulated that the vehicle fit into the French tax class of the time with 9  tax horsepower . The engine with cast iron engine block , aluminum cylinder head , two overhead camshafts and forged crankshaft developed an output of 115 HP (85 kW) at 6400 rpm. Pont-à-Mousson supplied the components that were assembled at Facel's Puteaux plant , where a test laboratory was also set up. The gearboxes came ready-to-install, also from Pont-à-Mousson and the single-disc dry clutches from Ferodo . An automatic transmission was not provided for the small Facel Vega, but the customer could choose between two steering ratios: 16.4: 1 or 13.5: 1.

The tank held 65 liters. The manufacturer measured the prototype at over 180 km / h and accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in 13.2 seconds. The Facellia had a turning circle of 10 meters.

First the convertible appeared, the closed versions were added a little later.

The first cars delivered suffered from engine damage, which was indicated by excessive oil consumption and ended with burned out pistons. The factory immediately exchanged the engines for warranty.

Further development

Facel Vega Facellia F2

This recurring damage burdened the company economically and ruined the brand's reputation, although the factory reacted quickly and accommodatingly. The engines have been upgraded to quickly fix the initial issues. The Facellia F2 was therefore available as early as February 1961 and was first presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 1960. The entire mechanics have been redesigned by le Moteur Moderne to make them more reliable. The engine received new cooling water channels, pistons, rocker arms and a compression ratio that was reduced from 9.4 to 9.2: 1. Allegedly because of the better aerodynamics, the double headlights were gradually replaced by headlights from Marchal-Mégalux , like those on the Facel II . In fact, the factory now stated a top speed of 192 km / h. As with the V8 models, the dashboard was painted with imitation wood instead of leather. At the Mondial de l'automobile de Paris in 1961, the last further developed model, the Facellia F2B, appeared . It had a few minor changes, like a fuel filler neck behind the rear license plate. The new Marchal-Mégalux headlights were installed as standard and the compression of the engine was reduced to 9.2: 1.

There was also a sports version called F2S , which differed from the basic model in that it had a higher compression ratio (9.6: 1) and two Weber flat-flow carburettors . Its engine developed 126 hp (93 kW). The cars, which can be recognized by their plexiglass covers over the headlights, reached a top speed of 194 km / h. Although this model was officially announced in the motor press, it never appears to have been officially sold.

Only the more direct steering ratio 13.5: 1 of the F2S was available for the normal Facellia F2.

The F2S prototype was officially measured at 193.350 km / h by the Royal Automobile Club de Belgique.

Competitions

Facel Vega Facellia Cabriolet type FA

The Facellia was the only Facel Vega to take part in racing events. He achieved several victories in his category, for example with Maurice Gatsonides and Louis Van Noordwijk at the 1961 Monte Carlo Rally .

In June of the same year, a Facellia, driven by Hazard / Loberte, won the 1600 cc class of the Rallye de Lorraine (ahead of AC Bristol and Austin Healey ) and a little later with the ladies' team Annie Soisbault / Michèle Cancre the 1961 Tour de France for automobiles . In 1962 Poirot / Hazard finished the Monte Carlo Rally as second in their class.

consequences

It was clear from the start that the Facellia would be a key model for the brand. There were market studies that assumed a sales potential of approx. 2000 vehicles per year. The company, which had previously operated from its own resources, needed a bank loan to finance it. Investors were also sought and found in Pont-à-Mousson, Hispano-Suiza and Mobil Oil France.

The affair ultimately led to Daninos' replacement as head of the company and, after unsuccessful restructuring, to the bankruptcy of Facel SA. In 1964, after around two years under insolvency administration, the company was closed.

The quality problems of the Facellia seem to have been underestimated by Daninos. After his dismissal from management (he remained technical director and temporarily also sales manager) he made the crisis management of his successor, Jean-Gaston Breton, more responsible for the downfall than the technical problems. In total, Facel replaced around 300 engines; unnecessarily many in Danino's opinion, because he found that it was partially replaced without any previous complaint.

Distinguishing features

The Facellia can be distinguished from the visually very similar Facel III and Facel 6 in some optical details:

Early models have open round headlights without a plexiglass cover. The side radiator grills have a grille like the middle one; Facel III and 6 have a chrome rod instead. The most noticeable differences can be found at the rear. The taillights of the Facellia are fitted vertically into the body; there are also round reversing lights. The trunk lid protrudes and has a chrome band at the end. From the Facellia F2B, the tank filler neck sits behind the rear license plate. In the Facel III and Facel 6, the taillights have been replaced by slightly larger round units. The trunk lid of Facel III and Facel 6 is pulled further towards the bumper and no longer protrudes.

Prominent owners

The chassis numbers of the vehicles from Malle and Truffaut are only two numbers apart: FA A195 (Malle) and FA A197 (Truffaut).

Remarks

  1. ↑ There is one ambiguity in this context. Daninos describes this reduction in the text of his book (pp. 86–87), but does not list it under the technical data of the model (pp. 126–127).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, p. 79.
  2. ^ A b Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, pp. 120-121.
  3. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, pp. 82-83.
  4. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, pp. 126-127.
  5. ^ A b Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, p. 126.
  6. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, pp. 80-81.
  7. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, p. 81.
  8. ↑ Facel-Vega Facellia F2 - the small, elegant and lively little sister , with many historical pictures on Zwischengas.com (last accessed October 11, 2016)
  9. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, pp. 86-87.
  10. ^ A b Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, p. 87.
  11. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, p. 127.
  12. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, pp. 90-91.
  13. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, p. 102.
  14. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, pp. 104-109.
  15. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, p. 104.
  16. ^ Jean Daninos: Facel Vega. 1981, pp. 1113-116.

literature

  • Jean Daninos: Facel-Véga. (Collection "Grand Tourisme" No. 2). Edition EPA Paris 1981, ISBN 2-85120-143-3 (French).
  • Roger Gloor: Post War Car. Passenger cars 1945–1960. 2nd Edition. Hallwag-Verlag, Bern 1982, ISBN 3-444-10263-1 .
  • Roger Gloor: Passenger Cars of the 1960s. 3. Edition. Hallwag-Verlag Ostfildern 1998, ISBN 3-444-10307-7 .
  • Richard v. Frankenberg, Marco Matteucci: History of the Automobile. Sigloch Service Edition / STIG Torino 1973, DNB 760297916 .
  • Hans-Otto Neubauer (ed.): Chronicle of the automobile. Chronik Verlag in Bertelsmann Lexikon Verlag, Gütersloh / Munich 1994, ISBN 3-570-14338-4 .
  • Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader: The great automobile encyclopedia. 100 years of history. 2500 brands from 65 countries. 2nd Edition. BLV Buchverlag, Munich / Vienna / Zurich 1992, ISBN 3-405-12974-5 .
  • First French mid-range sports car . In: Motor Vehicle Technology 4/1960, pp. 143–144.

Web links

Commons : Facel Vega Facellia  - collection of images, videos and audio files