Paulo Antunes reveals the first lines of his Facel Vega Le Mans

Smiles. Doubts. Questions. Admiration. In front of this mysterious model, emotions were diverse. In hall 1 of the Rétromobile exhibition in Paris, the public was able to discover what was until now a ghost car. Since this summer, car designer Paulo Antunes, based in Villerest (Loire), along with his team, have been working on the construction of a Facel Vega Le Mans.

This car, assembled in various factories of the former French brand, never got to see the rays of the sun or the dark color of the asphalt. In 1964, Facel Vega* went under and its project to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans was aborted. The car was dismantled. Only the plans remain. Paulo Antunes then sets out in search of them to manufacture the racing car.

To see: Rétromobile 2023 in pictures

It is with a little luck that the native of Clermont-Ferrand manages to get his hands on them. One of his clients owns them. During a conversation, he buys them. The body shop has them modeled by a 3D design studio. But these drawings only display the body elements and the chassis.

Research and the book Facel Vega

For mechanical components, he refers to what he calls his « bible »: the Facel Vega book. In this work, he finds several elements about the engine, the gearbox… He then starts looking for these parts. First a 425-horsepower Chrysler V8 and a Colotti gearbox, in Italy.

By deepening his investigations, he realizes that the engine block is not the right one. The real engine is a Hemi 426, similar to the ones used in NASCAR. This one is dated 1963, while production of the other one ceased in 1959. It was therefore too old and technologically outdated for this car. It made no sense, explains Paulo Antunes. The new V8 that he is importing from the United States develops 580 horsepower.

With the mechanical aspect settled, it’s time to focus on his specialty: the bodywork. The tubular chassis being ready for several months, Paulo Antunes has focused on the visual aspect of the racing car. Once the plans were modeled, he called upon a company specialized in scale models to unveil his creation. It was presented in a 1:1 scale.

The number 21: in reference to his date of birth, September 21st.

On his booth at Rétromobile, he notably received Maurice Millon, one of the former bodywork specialists of the brand who had worked on the front fascia of the Le Mans. He was very moved, as he had in front of him the car on which he had worked 60 years ago. He assured me that the shapes were identical to those of that time.

The construction of the race car has begun. It involves a part of the rear end, which was actually presented at the same time as the model. For the rest of the car, this enthusiast will use components from other vehicles of the brand. « I want to keep the Facel Vega spirit. The dashboard comes from a right-hand drive Facelia. The lights are from a Facel III. The grille is from a Facelia prototype », lists the person based in Villerest, Loire.

Professor Raoul at the wheel?

One more year of work is necessary, according to Paulo Antunes, before the bodywork is completed. He hopes to have his race car on the road by mid-2024, 60 years after the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, which was supposed to be the first race of the Facel Vega Le Mans. It’s going to be tight to meet the deadlines, but I will try. As for the driver, professor Raoul (known for his appearances in GMK’s YouTube videos) should take the wheel.

Once finished, the Facel Vega dressed in a sky blue dress could take to the track at Le Mans. After 60 years spent as a ghost, it should finally roll for good with the other Ford GT40, Ferrari 330P3, and Porsche 906.

Today, Facel Vega no longer produces cars. The brand, however, belongs to the Facel Vega Association.