1959 Facel Facel II prototype (chassis HK2 A099)
- Colour
- Black over black
Chassis HK2 A099 is the original 1959 prototype for the Facel II, predating the model's public launch by two years and differing markedly from the 183 production cars that followed: it features a shorter roofline, bespoke glazing, separate headlamps, a steel rear quarter panel, and the desirable Pont-à-Mousson four-speed manual gearbox. Finished in black over black, it was first registered in February 1965 to company founder Jean Daninos shortly after the factory closed. Following decades of private ownership, it underwent a fully documented three-year comprehensive restoration completed around 2023.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate €700,000 – €1,000,000
- 1965-02-16 →Factory deliveryJean Daninosfull documentation
Founder of the manufacturer, he registered the prototype for the first time under his own name shortly after the factory ceased operations. The car had spent its earlier years unregistered and out of public sight.
- → 1987Second through fifth owners after Daninosnone documentation
The car passed through several hands between Daninos and the owner who held it from 1987; no individual names or dates are given for this intermediate period.
- 1987 → 2020Acquisition unknownSingle long-term ownerpartial documentation
Retained the car in unbroken single ownership for over three decades before selling it to the consignor.
- 2020 →Private saleConsignorfull documentation
Commissioned a thorough three-year restoration involving extensive bodywork reconstruction, documented across eight detailed expert reports. The stripped shell was shown publicly at Rétromobile in 2020.
Competition
- 2020Rétromobile 2020
The bare body shell was displayed during the ongoing restoration, serving as a static exhibit rather than a competition entry.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2020Restoration
A thorough, ground-up restoration commenced after acquisition, entailing extensive remanufacture of large portions of the bodywork and lasting approximately three years. The entire process was recorded in eight detailed expert reports held on file.
The bare shell was displayed publicly at Rétromobile in 2020 during the course of the work.
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