American singer and actress Ava Gardner had quite the cultural influence throughout the 20th century, and she was the envy of many a young woman. One aspect of her lifestyle that probably wasnât quite as influential as her fashion and taste in men, including a marriage to Frank Sinatra, was her choice of automobile.
A 1958 Facel Vega Excellence once belonging to Gardner is headed to sale with Coys at the Interclassics Maastricht auction on January 11, and Gardnerâs old car is expected to attract âŹ150,000- âŹ180,000 (ÂŁ135,850 - ÂŁ163,000, $170,900 - $205,100).
Facel Vega is a little-known name in the world of luxury automobiles, and the French manufacturer produced approximately 2900 cars between 1939-â64. They were all of the type that Hollywood stars may buy, and the Excellence was the star of the fleet, with little more than 156 being made.
This meant it had a very elite clientele, and Gardnerâs glamourous high-end image matched that of the car, and her showbusiness career maid paying for the 4,00,000 franc vehicle (about $79,100 in todayâs money). Despite what youâd expect to be a bulky shape due to its four door layout, the car is actually graced by coachbuilt body, which is pillarless and means there are âsuicideâ doors at the rear. To enhance the car further, there was a variety of custom options. Long before buyers could handcraft their car on a brandâs website, Facel Vega was offering the likes of power-assisted steering, power brakes, air conditioning and electric windows, probably in a catalogue.
The first ten cars, which includes the model owned by Gardner, featured Chryslerâs 6.4-lite âHemiâ V8 engine, with future models using a different V8 after Chrysler stopped production. Despite being a luxury motor, it was well capable of speeds north of 140mph.
Gardner took delivery of her car straight from the factory in September 1958, just as she started work on the movie âOn the Beachâ. After a short while she sold it on, and one of its subsequent owners restored it and gave it a brand new paintjob. This has brought back any of the glamour it may have lost, and youâll certainly look like a Hollywood star if youâre seen driving in this luxurious beast.
Scarfaceâs Cadillac is Available To Buy
Hit The Dunes In This 1970 Baja Bronco Tribute
Mil-Spec Mercedes G-Wagen Transformed Into Bespoke Off-Roader
Are These Consecutive-VIN '55 Corvettes The Perfect Package Deal?
URL copied to clipboard