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Launched in 1961, the Facel II was destined to be the last of the V8-engined models, production ceasing in 1964 after an unsuccessfulventure into engine manufacture effectively bankrupted the company.Production of the preceding HK500 amounted to only 500-or-so unitsbetween 1958 and 1961 and that of the Facel II to a mere 182. Todaythese rare Franco-American classics are highly sought after.From the late 1960s into the 1980s, this car’s owner was one ofBritain’s foremost television producers/directors, working on a diverseselection of programmes including ‘World-in-Action’, ‘DisappearingWorld’, ‘Coronation Street’, ‘Bergerac’, etc. He had always loved FacelIIs and in his teens had often seen a silver example parked outside theÉcurie Écosse Garage in Merchiston Mews, Edinburgh, with its famousmud-spattered 1956 Le Mans Jaguar D-type in the window, which hisbrother eventually bought.In 1971 the vendor was in the process of finishing the first of GranadaTelevision’s ‘Disappearing World’ films and was walking downBeauchamp Place in Knightsbridge when a chauffeur-driven blueFacel II drew up. He talked to its chauffeur while the man waited for itsowner, Mrs Kleeman, to emerge from San Lorenzo’s and was still inconversation with him when she reappeared. The vendor told her thatthe Facel was the one car he’d always loved. ‘Would you like it?’ shesaid. ‘We absolutely love it too but my husband now wants somethingeasier to get into the back of.’ So he bought ‘3 GXK’ in April 1971.Preparing to drive off in it, he remembers the chauffeur, Mr Hobday,saying: ‘You know sir, that wasn’t a car, that was a way of life.’Chassis number ‘HK2 B 148’ had been one of two displayed at the1963 Earls Court Motor Show and was first registered to W L Lewis,Mr Kleeman’s company/office manager.For six years the Facel was the vendor’s only car, often in Scotland,often in France, and was totally reliable, never letting him down once.Passengers he recalls include psychiatrist R D Laing, singer JohnnyCash, politician Benazir Bhutto, jazz musicians Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines andJay McShann, and many famous actors familiar to Granada Televisionviewers during the 1970s and ‘80s.Then he got married and purchased an estate car, and with a careerthat involved ever more extended periods abroad, found less and lesstime for the Facel which sat, still loved but rarely used, in his garage inLondon. Around 1990, after the car had sat un-driven for a year or so,the vendor had the time to take it out once more. To circulate the oil, heremoved the sparkplugs and turned the engine over by hand - not aneasy thing to do with no starting-handle provision. All seemed fine so theplugs were refitted. The engine started immediately and ran for around30 seconds before a nasty noise prompted a hasty switch-off. For thelast 20-plus years the vendor has been meaning to ‘get round to theFacel’ but never has, and the car has remained garaged ever since.Offered for restoration and sold strictly as viewed, ‘3 GXK’ comeswith its original logbook, expired MoT (1972-73), an AA pre-purchasecondition report, Mr Hobday’s notebook (kept up by the vendor)and various Jack Barclay and other service invoices dating from theKleemans’ period of ownership. The car also comes with an originalowner’s handbook (in French and English). An exciting restorationproject which, once completed, will reward the fortunate new ownerwith the satisfaction of having resurrected ‘not so much a car, more away of life’.£70,000 - 100,000€86,000 - 120,000Motor Cars | 65