Facel Vega HK 500 Coupe

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Company Facel Vega (1939-1964) was founded in 1954 by Greek-French engineer Jean Daninos (1906-2001), although the Facel company had been established by the Bronzavia Company in 1939 as a French manufacturer of military aircraft to make special components. F.A.C.E.L. (Forges et Ateliers de Construction d'Eure-et-Loir; in English: forge and construction workshop of the department of Eure-et-Loir) was initially a metal-stamping company but decided to expand into car manufacturing in the early 1950s. Vega is one of the most luminous stars in the Sun's neighborhood in astronomy. Jean Daninos, technical director of Bronzavia, had begun his career with famous French automobile company Citroen, where he assisted in the design of the Traction coupés and cabriolets. He moved to French aircraft manufacturing company founded in 1911, Morane-Saulnier then to Bronzavia. During WW II he worked with American aircraft design and manufacturing company, General Aircraft (1940's-1976) in USA who were using Bronzavia patents but he returned in 1945 and took charge of Facel. Daninos put Facel to the manufacture of short-run and special complete finished bodies for the major French brands. In conjunction with l'Aluminium Français, Facel designed the all-aluminium alloy Panhard Dyna X and then built around 45,000 examples for Panhard. Panhard is a French manufacturer of light tactical vehicles, military vehicles and in the 1930's manufacturer of expensive six-cylinder and eight-cylinder sedans. A luxury car division Facel-Metallon was established in 1948. It made various models of Simca Sport and drew publicity by designing with Farina and then building a special body on a Bentley Mark VI chassis.  The car was named Bentley Cresta. The exercise was repeated in 1951 and named Cresta II. In 1951 saw the introduction of their Ford Comète. Production of the Comète ended in 1955 when Simca took over Ford France. The styling of the Crestas and Comètes was developed into the shape of the first Facel Vega. SIMCA (Société Industrielle de Mécanique et Carrosserie Automobile; in English: Mechanical and Automotive Body Manufacturing Company) was a French automaker, founded in 1934 by Fiat and directed from 1935 to 1963 by Italian Henri Théodore Pigozzi (born Enrico Teodoro Pigozzi (1898–1964). Battista "Pinin" Farina (later Battista Pininfarina) (1893-1966) was an Italian automobile designer, the founder of the Carrozzeria Pininfarina coachbuilding company, a name associated with many of the best-known postwar sports cars. Farina's nickname, ''Pinin'' (in English: the youngest/smallest (brother)) is originates from the fact, that he was the youngest child of eleventh children that his parents had. During 1950's Facel-Metallon pressed out body panels for: Delahaye's army jeeps (painted and upholstered); Simca, Delahaye and Somua's trucks (painted and upholstered); scooters by Vespa, Piaggio and Motobécane; tractors by Massey-Ferguson and stainless-steel bumpers, hubcaps and grilles for Simca, Ford and for Renault. In conjunction with Hispano-Suiza, Facel-Metallon and Facel also turned out for Rolls-Royce, combustion chambers in special metals for their jet engines. Hispano-Suiza (in English; literally: Spanish-Swiss) was a Spanish automobile and engineering company, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines pre-World War II. Metallon left the partnership in 1953. Company Facel Vega, for their own complete cars was using engines made by Chrysler, Volvo and Austin. Though initially successful Facel, respectively Facel Vega closed its factory in 1964. Famous owners of Facel Vega cars were: Pablo Picasso, Ava Gardner, Christian Dior, Joan Collins, Ringo Starr, Max Factor Jr, Joan Fontaine, Stirling Moss, Tony Curtis, several Saudi princes, Dean Martin, Fred Astaire, Danny Kaye, Louis Malle, The President of Mexico, François Truffaut, Robert Wagner, Anthony Quinn, Hassan II, King of Morocco, Debbie Reynolds, the Shah of Persia, Frank Sinatra, Maurice Trintignant, Brian Rix and French Embassies around the world. British very famous former Formula-One racing driver, Stirling Moss would drive his HK500 from event to event rather than fly.