The Facel Vega FV/FVS is a car produced by French automaker Facel from 1954 until 1959. It continued to be built until 1962 as the HK500. The Facel 'Vega' was launched at the 1954 Paris Salon, although the first prototype had been completed in October 1953. Originally the model name was 'Vega', but they gradually became 'Facel Vega' with 'FV' followed by a number indicating the iteration. By 1956, the cars were called FVS (for Facel Vega Sport) in the United States. The 1954 versions of the Facel were fitted with a DeSoto Firedome (Chrysler) 4.5 litre Hemi V8 engine, paired with either Chrysler's two-speed Powerflite automatic transmission or, at extra cost, a four-speed manual made by Pont-à-Mousson. At this stage, the 180 hp (132 kW) FV was capable of a top speed from 172 to 193 km/h (107 to 120 mph), depending on which rear axle ratio was installed. The chassis, designed by Lance Macklin, was tubular framed, featuring coil springs and double wishbones at the front, with a leaf-sprung live rear axle. The styling, by Daninos himself, was somewhat American and perhaps a bit heavy[citation needed], with rudimentary tail fins. The body was an expanded version of the earlier, Facel-bodied Simca/Ford Comète. An abundance of stainless steel brightwork was fitted. (Source: Wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA)